Fox Hunt
by Lady Cianyin
Summary: *Complete* Marron gets hit by a spell with . . . interesting affects.
1. Prologue

Fox Hunt  
  
Prologue  
  
Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever (or most likely will ever) own the Sorcerer Hunters. Sadly, like every other fanfiction writer out there, I can only borrow them from Akahori and Omishi for a few pages, and then I have to give them back. The only characters I can claim are Bagel, Lox, Raspberry, and Vanilla in this section. But my birthday is next month . . . ^_^  
  
Warnings: Violence and death and heavy borrowing from the manga.  
  
Author's Note: The Sorcerer Hunters we all know and love will appear in the next chapter; this is just the initial setup for the story. Remember, if they are OOC, I made them that way to fit the story. ^_^  
  
Oh, and things in * * are thoughts. Now, on with the story.  
  
"Enter," said the lavender-haired man in a bored tone, waving a blue velvet-sleeved arm negligently. White ruffles poured out of the sleeve, dripping delicate lace over the pale aristocratic hands. He exchanged an amused glance with the woman in red at his side, and her answering smile was vicious.  
  
The huge red wooden doors swung open, and the leafy pattern of pure gold covering them caught the sunlight from the large window and flung it into the eyes of the pale-haired sorceress as she walked through them. She raised her green eyes to the couple seated upon the raised dais on ornately carved golden and ivory thrones. More sunlight streamed from the large skylight above the thrones, bathing their occupants in a bright golden beam.  
  
*This is it,* she thought as she crossed the opalescent-tiled floor to the dais. She suppressed her eager trembling with a considerable effort. *There's no turning back now. Time to put on my best performance.*  
  
"Lord Bagel," Raspberry Tart said, bowing in a calculated depth to him. It had to be just right for the best impression. She turned to the red-haired woman seated in the throne next to Bagel's. "Lady Lox," she said, bowing again, just as deeply as before. "It is an honor to serve you."  
  
"Of course," Lox said, a faint, indifferent smile curving her painted red lips. "What do you have for us?" She tapped the long red fingernails of her left hand on the arm of the throne beneath her hand in a steady rhythm while her right hand supported her cheek.  
  
Her brilliantly yellow eyes bored into Raspberry's unpleasantly, but the fledgling sorceress did not flinch.  
  
*They will reward me well for this information. I need not fear a turn of their favor; if they lose me, they lose their ultimate goal of destroying the Stellar Church,* she reminded herself confidently. *I am invaluable to their cause.*  
  
Raspberry straightened her slender shoulders, shaking her long blond hair out of her eyes to reveal the sorcerer's mark on her forehead. "The Sorcerer Hunters recently deployed by Big Mama have taken the bait," she began. "They are on their way to Split Pea as we speak."  
  
Bagel frowned, lifting one perfect hand to his handsome face, as if to trace the line of a scar that wasn't there any more. His blue eyes hardened, becoming ice at some imperceptible thought that crossed his mind. Raspberry wondered what he was thinking to cause such a look of pure, unadulterated hatred to fill his eyes.  
  
"Into Vanilla Cream's territory," Lox purred, her yellow eyes smoldering deviously. "Dear Bagel, this could prove a wonderful opportunity for humiliating both the Sorcerer Hunters and our long-time nemesis Vanilla."  
  
Bagel's frown deepened into a scowl and his hand clenched on his cheek. "I do not wish to simply humiliate her," he growled ominously, turning his icy eyes on his consort. "I want her dead."  
  
"Of course, dear," Lox said soothingly. "And I want her scrying crystal. All in good time, all in good time. We'll get what we want, my love. Wouldn't it make it so much more worth while to do it slowly, though, striping her power away from her little by little, waiting for just the right moment to rip the last of it from her grasp?"  
  
Bagel's eyes narrowed. "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously, lowering his hand from his face.  
  
Lox smirked at him, then turned back to Raspberry, who had been waiting patiently through this entire scene, absorbing everything they were saying. One never knew when it could prove of use to someone else - well, someone else willing to pay for it, of course. Charity never fattened any purses, and Raspberry was disinclined to offer her informational services for free in any case.  
  
"What were you able to find out about the members of this Sorcerer Hunter team?" Lox asked in barely concealed glee.  
  
Raspberry smiled inwardly. *I'll have to wing it a little since they were so damned hard to track, but what little information I was able to gather should be enough to satisfy them for now. I wish I could have learned at least one of their names, but I could never get close enough without someone sensing my presence.*  
  
"They have one mage and four fighters," she reported. The mage will probably be the most useful for your purposes from what you have told me, so I focused most of my attention on him." She had their full attention now, and Lox's eyes fairly burned with anticipation. "He uses the Eastern Magic with wards called ofuda, and he seems to rely heavily on the element of fire and on summoning creatures born of the magic. He also excels at performing holy seals."  
  
"You've done well. That's perfect," Lox hissed, turning slowly to smile at Bagel. "I have just the spell for taking care of this mage." She laughed delightedly. "And I think you will especially like what it will do when he meets Vanilla!"  
  
Bagel looked intrigued. "I'm listening," he prompted irritably when she did not continue.  
  
"Ah-ah-ah, not while little ears are listening in as well," Lox chided, her yellow eyes slanting slyly toward Raspberry.  
  
*Drat.* Raspberry schooled her expression to indifference, but inwardly, she was seething with mingled curiosity and irritation. *Who knows how much money this sudden prudence with information in Lox has cost me? Well, there are other ways for me to find out, I suppose, although that is very annoying. Lox is one of my best sources, too!*  
  
"Tease," Bagel said with a snort of contempt. "You know as well as I do how to deal with this type of thing."  
  
"Mm, yes," Lox said lazily. "Such a pity. Ah, well, that can't be helped." She looked at Raspberry, her smile turning slightly feral, in a way that Raspberry really didn't like. "Now, dear girl, it's time for your reward."  
  
The young sorceress brightened visibly, forgetting her unease in favor of the payment she was about to receive. "The last remaining Magic Arrow from Count Elzian's collection?" she asked eagerly.  
  
"Of course, dear," Lox said easily. "That was the reward we promised you." She flicked her hand at Bagel. "Well? It's your treasure, so you should be the one to deliver it, my love."  
  
"With pleasure," Bagel replied smoothly, and Raspberry suddenly realized that he was holding a bow with the Magic Arrow nocked and ready.  
  
"No offence, dear, but we really can't have you running around out where Vanilla might possibly find you and learn of our plans for her, " Lox said with false regret. "It's just better for us this way. I'm sure you understand."  
  
Too late, Raspberry realized that she had been betrayed. She tried to scream, tried to run, but the arrow caught her in the back, right between her shoulder blades. She fell hard on the slick tiled floor, gasping and slipping in her own blood as she desperately tried to scramble out of their reach.  
  
Too late, Raspberry heard both Bagel and Lox utter the words that would seal her fate: "Big Arrow."  
  
*No! This can't be! They still need me! They can't just - *  
  
Pain ripped through her body, searing her nerve endings with white fire as she screamed helplessly, writhing around the Magic Arrow shaft that had driven straight through her body.  
  
As suddenly as it had begun, it was over, and Raspberry felt herself fading into nothingness.  
  
*No . . . it . . . can't . . . be . . .*  
  
The last sound she heard was Bagel's and Lox's mingled laughter.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's note #2: I wrote this story when I was suffering severe writer's block on one of my original works. It was a nice break from that story, and it turned out semi-decent, so I let some of my friends read it. Surprisingly, they liked it, but it sat on my hard drive for a year or so before I decided to come back to it and revise it a little. I'm still nervous about posting this, but I thought I'd see if there was any interest in this story from anyone other than my friends, who'd say that they liked anything that I write, but that's a different story. So if you like it so far, are intrigued, or have any constructive criticism for me (no flames, please, my ego is very fragile - no matter what my roommates might say ^_^), please review and tell me what you think.  
  
Arigatou!  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	2. Part 1

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 1  
  
Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever (or most likely will ever) own the Sorcerer Hunters. Sadly, like every other fanfiction writer out there, I can only borrow them from Akahori and Omishi for a few pages, and then I have to give them back. However, Vanilla, Celery, Ramen, Sauerkraut, Bagel, Lox, Split Pea, and the Ipecac Forest are all creations of my imagination.  
  
Warnings: Violence, Carrot-bashing (literally)  
  
Author's note: This story is written on the premise that Marron is not gay, so for all those of you hoping to find him paired with Gateau/Carrot/Milphey/whoever, I'm sorry. I'm pairing him with a character that came out of my head because I thought it would be fun to do. Hopefully, you still want to read this. ^_^  
  
Stuff in * * are thoughts, and %%%%% denotes a dream sequence, just so you know.  
  
It was such a simple trap. No one would have ever suspected what happened. It all seemed so innocuous, so utterly unsuspicious that it was a wonder why Marron never thought to question why it was so easy.  
  
Without considering why or how they had managed to get this far into Bagel's castle when both of the sorcerers hiding there had known that the Hunters were coming, Marron paused in front of the magically sealed door with his teammates.  
  
"Without a doubt, Bagel and Lox are in this room," Marron said, his golden eyes narrowed in concentration as he studied the opulent golden eye at the top of the door frame. A large red gem was set in the pupil of the eye, glowing eerily.  
  
Gateau slammed his fist into his palm. "It won't be long now," he said ominously.  
  
"I get first crack at them," Chocolate said maliciously, her hard blue eyes narrowed underneath her biker-chick hat. "I saw what they did to that poor innocent girl's boyfriend, and I won't allow this to continue!"  
  
"Can you open it, Marron?" Tira asked, looking at him. She was standing in her black leather outfit, her whip coiled and ready in her hands. Her chest still heaved from all the running they had done in order to get there as fast as they had.  
  
"Of course he can," Carrot said, pretending not to be staring at Tira's chest.  
  
Marron sighed and pulled an ofuda out of his sleeve, holding it up in front of his face. He shut his eyes, concentrating, and the ofuda began to glow. In another moment, he threw it at the large red gem, since he was sure that it was what bound the spell to the door.  
  
The strangest thing happened. There was a soft, ominous little click. Then a tremendous wave of energy shot from the gem as it shattered, passing harmlessly through Carrot and Tira, but slamming Marron backwards into Chocolate and Gateau (in that order, he was thankful to note even as the breath was knocked out of him).  
  
Marron was quick to scramble off of Chocolate, wheezing faintly as he courteously offered her his hand to help her up.  
  
"Are you all right, Marron?" Carrot asked, appearing at his side just as Chocolate was getting to her feet.  
  
"I think so," Marron replied. *That's odd . . . shouldn't it have had more of an affect than that? I feel fine, now that I have my breath back . . .*  
  
"What about me, Darling?" Chocolate asked sweetly.  
  
"You have bony elbows," Gateau groaned and stood up.  
  
Carrot rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, yeah, are you all right, Chocolate?" he asked sarcastically, but he couldn't hide the brief flash of relief in his expression from Marron.  
  
The door suddenly swung open, creaking loudly, and all five turned toward it as soft laughter drifted through it.  
  
"It's going to be a lot harder than that to find us, Sorcerer Hunters," said the mocking baritone voice of Bagel. "We're not even in this castle, and we've just disabled your little Eastern Magic user. Good luck on your journey - you're going to need it when you come after us."  
  
"Damn you!" Carrot hissed, and ran forward. The others followed him, ready to fight, but the room was empty, and had obviously been that way for a long time from all the dust covering the floor.  
  
Tira sneezed. "Ick," she said with feeling.  
  
"How strange," Marron said absently.  
  
"What?" Gateau asked him.  
  
"They knew we were coming, they knew how we would react and just how to set up the route for us in this castle, and they also knew that I use Eastern Magic," he replied, frowning. "And now Bagel says that they have disabled me."  
  
"Is that true?" Carrot demanded.  
  
"I don't know," Marron answered. "I feel fine."  
  
"Try to cast a spell," Tira suggested. "Maybe he sealed your powers somehow."  
  
"Smash the wall over there," Chocolate added. "There could be something useful behind it to tell us where Bagel and Lox are."  
  
Marron nodded, and slipped another ofuda out from his sleeve. He held it up, concentrated, and then threw it at the wall. The spell smashed the wall apart, and a wave of energy just like the first one only much stronger fired back at Marron. Again, it passed harmlessly through everyone but him, sending him flying backwards.  
  
Gateau instinctively moved to protect the young mage, but he was flung back against the wall with a sharp crack when Marron collided with him.  
  
"Marron!" Carrot cried, and ran over to them.  
  
"Well, my powers weren't sealed," he wheezed, standing up slowly and painfully.  
  
*What is this? Magic backlash? I had thought that spell was lost a long time ago, way before any of us were born.* Marron shivered inwardly at the thought.  
  
"But every time you cast a spell you get tossed around like a rag doll," Carrot said angrily. "And we can't seal off this castle without you."  
  
"I can still seal the castle, Niisan," Marron replied calmly.  
  
"Not without getting thrown back into something," Gateau spoke up as he picked himself up off of the floor. "I don't think you should try it. You could really get hurt."  
  
"It has to be done," Marron argued. "Otherwise, the Forbidden Magic spells stored here could be used by the first person who gets curious enough to come in here."  
  
"Not to mention the next sorcerer to pass through Split Pea," Tira said quietly.  
  
They were silent for a moment, considering this.  
  
"I hate to say this, Darling, but it can't be helped," Chocolate said finally. "Marron is going to have to seal the castle."  
  
Carrot frowned. "I don't like this," he said flatly.  
  
"I know, Niisan," Marron said, "but I have to do this. There is no one else, and there's no telling how long it will take to find a way to take the spell off of me."  
  
"We also need to get going before their trail gets cold," Tira said unhappily.  
  
Carrot looked at Marron, frowning again. "Maybe there's some way that we can brace you so that you don't get hurt," he said at last.  
  
"We'll figure something out," Gateau said confidently.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
In the end, Marron had to be carried back to the Bratwurst Inn. The blast from the backlash of the energy in his spell had been so strong he was knocked unconscious. When he finally came to hours later, he had a high fever and shivered constantly. The four Sorcerer Hunters all gathered in his room, hovering worriedly around his bed.  
  
Celery, the innkeeper Sauerkraut's young, pretty wife, offered to call in the town healer for them. "Ramen is a very skilled healer," she was saying to Carrot, her aqua blue eyes worried. "I'm sure that he would be able to help your brother, Mister Carrot."  
  
Carrot took her hand and looked deeply into her eyes, a suave smile on his lips. "I thank you, Miss Celery," he said appreciatively, with a lingering glance at her cleavage. "You've been such a comfort to me in this ordeal. I'll gladly do anything I can to repay you for your kindness . . ."  
  
A huge mallet from Hammerspace(TM) appeared and smashed Carrot into a very flat pancake.  
  
"Good one, Tira!" Chocolate applauded.  
  
"Don't mind him," Tira said cheerfully to the stunned Celery. She looked down at Carrot. "You idiot!" she hissed. "Your brother is sick, and that's all you can think about?!"  
  
"Um . . . that's an interesting coping skill," Celery remarked, sweat-dropping. She knelt by the Carrot-pancake. "Mister Carrot, I'm a happily married woman. My husband also tends to get quite jealous, so I would advise against trying to flirt with me."  
  
"Sor- sorry," Carrot said, his voice strained and an octave higher than usual.  
  
"That's all right," Celery said, rolling her eyes. "I'll go get Ramen for you now."  
  
"Th-thanks," Carrot replied in the same odd voice.  
  
Celery left the room, shaking her head, and Carrot sat up, rubbing his head.  
  
"Ow! Tira, why'd you have to do that?" he demanded. "I was just trying to be nice. She's done a lot for us."  
  
"That's no excuse," Tira huffed indignantly.  
  
"Do you need anything, Marron?" Gateau was asking the young mage softly.  
  
Marron shook his head, pushing back the covers so that he could sit up. "I think that it has passed."  
  
Carrot was instantly beside his brother's bed, shoving Gateau out of the way. "So you're feeling better now?" he asked, studying Marron's face intently to make sure that the mage was telling the truth.  
  
"I think so," Marron replied, frowning. *Why isn't it affecting me more than this? What is with this spell? Is there more to it or not?*  
  
"Let's wait for Ramen to make sure that you're really going to be okay, though," Tira said, pushing her glasses back up her nose as she stepped forward.  
  
"Right," Carrot agreed, sitting back down in the chair beside Marron's bed. "You just stay there for now, until what's his name can tell us what's wrong with you."  
  
"Ramen," Chocolate corrected with a sigh. "Tira just said it."  
  
"Whatever," Carrot muttered.  
  
Thankfully, a polite knock on the door prevented any further comments on the matter.  
  
The healer Ramen entered the room when Chocolate opened the door for him.  
  
"Hello," he said in a soft voice. "My name is Ramen. Celery told me that one of you has need of my services."  
  
"That would be my brother, Marron," Carrot said, standing up.  
  
Ramen glanced at Marron, who was still sitting up in bed. His green, almond-shaped eyes took on a perplexed expression. "He seems to be fine," the healer said, confused. "Celery told me that you had a fever, but it seems to have passed."  
  
Marron opened his mouth, but Carrot beat him to it.  
  
"He's an Eastern Magic user," Carrot said. "He broke a spell sealing a door, and his magic keeps coming back on him whenever he uses it. The second time this happened, he was knocked out, and he had the fever when he woke up."  
  
"Then it just went away," Gateau added.  
  
Ramen nodded, his shoulder length blond hair shining in the light of the lamps on either side of the bed. "It's probably magically induced backlash," he said. "I have some experience in dealing with this, but I'm not an expert." He smiled at their downcast faces. "Don't worry. There is an expert in this kind of backlash who lives to the south on the edge of the Ipecac Forest. Her name is Vanilla Cream. I'm certain that she would be able to help you."  
  
The four Hunters gathered around Marron's bed in a huddle to discuss this.  
  
"Bagel's and Lox's trail leads north," Tira said, frowning.  
  
"And we need to catch up to them as soon as possible," Chocolate added.  
  
"How long will the treatment take?" Marron asked the healer.  
  
Ramen shrugged. "It really depends on the spell," he replied. "Most of them can be drained easily within a few minutes, but some take weeks or even months." He studied Marron critically for a moment, then added, "If Bagel was the one that put the spell on you, it will probably take a week at the most. If it was Lox, though, her spells usually take at least a month."  
  
"Can you tell which one it was?" Gateau asked in the stunned silence that followed this announcement.  
  
"I can't," Ramen replied. "Vanilla will be able to, though. She's had plenty of experience dealing with those two sorcerers' spells." He smiled faintly. "I know that you do not want to hear this, but you should think about going to see Vanilla instead of following them. Magically induced backlash can become very serious if it is not treated as quickly as possible."  
  
Marron sighed. "Since I can't use my magic anyway, it seems to be the best thing for me to do."  
  
"For us to do, you mean," Carrot corrected. "I'm coming with you, and you can bet everyone else will too."  
  
"Exactly," Tira said with a smile, and Chocolate and Gateau both nodded their agreement. "We're going to need your magic to defeat Bagel and Lox, so we may as well wait for you to get better first."  
  
"No," Marron said suddenly. "I will go to see Vanilla alone. Bagel and Lox must be stopped as soon as possible. When the spell is drained, then I will catch up to you."  
  
"I should probably take my leave of you here," Ramen said before anyone could respond to the bombshell that Marron had just dropped. "If you need me to take you to Vanilla, don't hesitate to ask Celery to find me. Whatever you decide, I wish you luck." He bowed, and left the room.  
  
"Thank you, Ramen," Marron said politely.  
  
"You're welcome," Ramen replied with a faint smile as he quietly shut the door behind him.  
  
"There is no way that I'm going to let you do that," Carrot said stubbornly.  
  
"It's what's best for the team," Marron said. "I don't like it either, but we don't have any other options. You heard what Ramen said; it could take at least a week to get the spell drained, and those sorcerers need to be punished before they ruin more lives."  
  
"Maybe one of us should stay with you," Gateau said suggestively.  
  
"No," Marron replied, ignoring the suggestion and shaking his head. "Your first priority is to find Bagel and Lox and to punish them for their crimes. I will be all right here by myself."  
  
"What if this is part of their plan, and Ramen and Vanilla are their accomplices?" Tira asked, frowning worriedly.  
  
"It's a chance I'll have to take," he said with a shrug. "We can't afford to waste any time in this. You should leave as soon as possible."  
  
"I can't just leave you here like this," Carrot argued. "Maybe Ramen was wrong, and it'll only take a couple of days or so. We could be delayed that long, couldn't we?"  
  
"I'm afraid not, Darling," Chocolate said. "We don't know when Bagel and Lox were last here. If we wait a couple of days before going after them, the trail could be cold by then. Maybe there's another way, though."  
  
"You could just come with us," Carrot said. "You might not have to use your magic this time, and I know I'd feel better if you were with us."  
  
"Niisan, if I went with you now, there is no way to tell how the spell could affect me. It might make me have another fever, or it might be something worse. In any case, I might have to use magic, and the consequences could be worse than anything we've seen so far," Marron said reasonably.  
  
"You're right," Carrot replied. "I don't like it, but you're right." He looked out the window sheepishly. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon at this point. "We'd better get going if we want to reach the next town before dark."  
  
"Big Mama can tell you where we are when you're ready to follow us," Tira said, smiling. "We'll keep in touch with her."  
  
"Get this taken care of quickly, okay?" Chocolate added.  
  
"Yeah," Gateau said. "I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy without your spells to back us up."  
  
Finally, they left. Marron slumped on the bed wearily, glad that he no longer had to expend the energy to hide his exhaustion.  
  
*I'm glad that they didn't notice how tired I really am,* he thought. *They never would have gone if they had seen this. The backlash took a lot out of me, more than even I had realized. I wonder what else it will do to me before it's all over?*  
  
He shivered, not wanting to think about that anymore.  
  
*I should go see the healer Vanilla Cream today, but I'm so tired. I'll have to go tomorrow, after I've had some sleep.*  
  
Marron lay down on the bed again, pulling the blankets up to his chin.  
  
*I hope that Vanilla can help me . . .*  
  
%%%%%%%%%  
  
Marron was walking in a deep cavern of ice. His breath fogged in the frigid air, the small white puffs dimly illuminated by a faint light coming from far up ahead in the tunnel. He vaguely realized that he was dreaming, but he was so cold, and the ice was so hard and dark and slippery beneath his hands and feet that he wasn't truly certain of it. Only the faint light up ahead guided him.  
  
Suddenly, he saw a short pillar made of ice ahead of him. He hurried forward, hoping that this pillar signified the end of his journey through the tunnel-like ice cavern.  
  
As he drew closer, he realized that there was a person inside of it, contorted in agony as if he or she had been trapped in the ice while still alive. As he drew closer still, he could make out more and more of the person inside the ice. Broad shoulders, short blond hair, a brown jacket, and one spiky shoulder guard . . . and the large body poised to hit something with one large fist.  
  
"Gateau!" Marron cried, shrinking back from the pillar.  
  
Suddenly, he noticed three other pillars of ice behind Gateau's. Half-sick with dread, Marron walked toward the second pillar. This person was female; that much was obvious from the slenderness of her frame inside the ice. He could make out a black leather outfit and long pink hair. Tira looked like she had been hit with something that had thrown her backwards and caught her in mid-air before imprisoning her in the ice.  
  
"Tira!" he said in a strangled shriek. "This must mean that . . . oh, no! Carrot! Niisan! Where are you?"  
  
Marron ran to the next pillar, seeing the black leather pants, black suspenders, and Chocolate's hat on the next person. She was also twisted in agony, bent forward at her waist as if she had been punched or stabbed in the stomach.  
  
He gasped, and ran to the last pillar, hoping against hope that it was empty.  
  
It wasn't. He saw spiky black hair, a brown tank top, and light tan pants. It looked like Carrot had suffered the most; he was bent over backwards, his face contorted in a silent, agonized howl of pain.  
  
"Niisan!" he screamed, throwing himself at the pillar, scrabbling at the slick, unforgiving ice that cut his hands. The blood ran down the pillar, freezing almost instantly. "Niisan!"  
  
*This wasn't supposed to happen! I should have been here, I could have prevented this if I had been here . . . why wasn't I here?*  
  
Marron heard a footstep behind him, and he whirled around, pulling an ofuda from his sleeve. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his enemy. Only the two of them in front were clearly illuminated. They were eight feet tall, and the odd blue-gray color that ice turns when it is very old. Their heads were triangle shaped, like their bodies that tapered down from very broad shoulders to very narrow hips. Their arms were so long their hands brushed their knees. Their eyes were slanted and glowed white in the dimness of the cavern, and their large, translucent, cobweb-like wings shimmered faintly.  
  
*Ice demons. They must be the ones that did this.*  
  
At least a dozen of the ice demons had filled the tunnel, blocking his only way out. Their icy breath glittered in the faint light that still came from very far up ahead in the tunnel, and their long, icy claws looked sharp and menacing. He turned around again, noting that they had completely surrounded him on the other side of the tunnel as well.   
  
*How dare they hurt my brother! I swear on my life that I will destroy every last one of these vile creatures to avenge Carrot and our friends. I will make them pay for every shred of pain they caused Niisan.*  
  
"Kisama," he hissed, "give me back my brother!"  
  
Marron put aside his grief for anger, and the ofuda began to glow. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he threw it at one of the demons, relishing a savage glee as it exploded, sending shards of ice from its body into the demons surrounding it. They howled with pain, lunging forward, but Marron had already begun his spell.  
  
"Spirits of fire, lend me your power!" he cried, and flames in the shape of a phoenix burst from his hands, striking the ice demons, burning through them.  
  
Marron savored their cries of agony as long as he could, then prepared to cast the fire spell again. Suddenly, two strong, icy-cold arms locked around his body, pinning his arms tightly.  
  
"Damn you!" he swore, writhing in the demon's frozen grip. "I'll kill you, all of you, for hurting my big brother!"  
  
Dimly, he could hear a man shouting, "Celery! Get Ramen, now!" He ignored it, concentrating on breaking the demon's hold on his body. He prepared to cast the phoenix spell again, and heard very clearly and distinctly, "Kuso!"  
  
Then the world went black, and Marron spiraled down into that blackness.  
  
%%%%%%%%%  
  
Sauerkraut leaned back against the only wall left undamaged by the fire spell, panting harshly. The young mage was slumped in his arms, deeply unconscious, thanks to the dispel magic charm that his daughter Lettuce had given to him a long time ago.  
  
*I never thought that I would have to use that charm,* Sauerkraut thought as he carefully stood up and lifted the young mage in his arms. He neither stirred, nor even seemed to notice as Sauerkraut carried him out of the still smoldering room. *I'll have to remember to thank Lettuce the next time I see her.*   
  
Sauerkraut was just starting to walk down the stairs to the common room when Ramen and Celery started running up them.  
  
"Thank goodness!" Celery exclaimed when she saw her husband was unhurt. "What happened?"  
  
"Is he unconscious?" Ramen asked.  
  
"Yes; he'll be out for a while. Let me get him downstairs first," Sauerkraut replied. "Then I'll tell you what happened."  
  
"Oh, of course," Celery said, and she and Ramen quickly stepped out of his way.  
  
Sauerkraut made them wait until he had laid the young mage down on a couch in the common room and covered him with a blanket.  
  
"In a nutshell, our guest here started a fire," Sauerkraut began. "I tackled him, and set off that charm that Lettuce gave me the last time she was here. It put out the fire, and knocked him out cold."  
  
"This is the worst case of backlash that I have ever seen," Ramen said, frowning worriedly. "I should have taken him to Vanilla immediately after I first saw him, but I didn't realize that it was this bad."  
  
"It's not your fault, Ramen," Celery said soothingly. "Lettuce told me once that Lox designs her spells to look harmless, but they're really insidious and destructive, with multiple effects. This poor man just happened to be on the wrong end of one of those spells."  
  
"Thank God we have Vanilla," Sauerkraut said with feeling. "Otherwise, Split Pea would have been depopulated by that pair of loony life-sucking sorcerers long ago."  
  
"Do you think we should take him to Vanilla tonight?" Celery asked then, her aqua blue eyes intent on the young mage's sleeping face.  
  
"Vanilla should still be awake," Ramen said. "I suppose that we could take him over there now."  
  
"Definitely," Sauerkraut agreed. "We need to make sure that he won't go berserk again. It's not his fault, but if he causes any more damage to my inn I may have to close it. As it is, the damage he did wasn't too bad, considering what he could have done, but I don't need to see any more demonstrations, thank you."  
  
Ramen nodded. "Let's take him to Vanilla now. I agree; he might possibly harm himself and a lot of other people if we keep him here for much longer. Vanilla will be able to help him if he becomes delusional again."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Miles away, in the throne room behind the large red doors, Lox suddenly lifted her head and turned to the east, frowning. A sudden surge of energy had caught her attention, and she closed her eyes to better concentrate on its source.  
  
"The spell has been triggered," Lox said, her full red lips curving in a serpentine smile as she languidly turned on her golden throne to face Bagel. "He is being drawn toward Vanilla now."  
  
"How much longer will this take?" the sorcerer demanded impatiently, snapping the book in his hands shut with an audible slap. "How much longer until the bitch dies?" One of his hands touched his unblemished cheek, trembling with repressed rage.  
  
Lox sighed, shaking her head. "Really, darling, you must learn to be a little more patient. To do this right, we have to go slowly. Don't worry, love, you'll get your chance at her."  
  
"And she will pay," Bagel hissed menacingly. "Oh, how dearly she will pay."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla sat quietly in her garden, watching the play of shadows in the pools of moonlight among the trees and flowers. The sound of the fountain hidden in the clump of aspen trees was gentle and soothing in the background, and tiny fireflies danced languidly among her roses.  
  
*What a beautiful night,* she thought, smiling. She tilted her head, and her long silver hair tumbled down her back in a graceful sweep of gleaming white. A cloud moved lazily across the sky to cover the surface of the moon, dimming its bright light.  
  
"Oi, Vanilla!" Sauerkraut called from the gate.  
  
Surprised, Vanilla stood up and walked over, glancing up at the stars. *It must be an emergency if he is here this late . . .*  
  
"I'm here," she called back softly as she reached the gate, swinging it open to allow the innkeeper and the person he was carrying to enter. Ramen entered behind them, courteously shutting the gate behind him for her.  
  
"Sorry to bother you this late, Vanilla," Ramen said, "but this is an emergency."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ramen. It's what I'm here for," Vanilla replied, shrugging. "What's the problem?" She looked at the tall, slender figure that Sauerkraut carried. "Some sort of accident or something?"  
  
"Not exactly," Sauerkraut said.  
  
"This young man is suffering from a violent form of magically induced backlash," Ramen said. "He became delusional, and started a fire in the inn, so we brought him here."  
  
Just then, the cloud moved from across the full moon's bright surface, and clearly illuminated the young man's features. Vanilla's eyes widened.  
  
His skin was very pale, and made even more so by the moonlight. His face was slim and oval-shaped, and his features very delicate, almost feminine. His thin lips were slack with unconsciousness, and parted slightly. His hair was very long and black in the moonlight, giving the impression of a deep shadow cascading halfway to the ground.  
  
*How very interesting . . . I wonder what color his eyes are?*  
  
"Please, bring him inside," Vanilla said, leading the way to her back door.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes #2: FIVE reviews already?! Yay!!! You have no idea how happy you guys have just made me! I'll be floating all day tomorrow! For those of you who hate it when authors do this, I'm sorry, but in honor of my first five reviews I have five big thank you's to give out:  
  
JRM: My first reviewer! Thank you! This got me through work today! I love Marron fics too. There just aren't enough of them, so I had to write this. ^_^  
  
NCDavis: Thank you! Hopefully I can keep your interest. I read your fic Fair Game; can't remember if I reviewed it yet or not, but keep it coming! ^_^  
  
Steling-Karh: Thank you! It's more fun when you can twist a story a little and make it totally original. I may do that some day. ^_^  
  
Sorcerer Huntress: Thank you! I'm glad that my story saved you. ^_^ Hopefully I can keep your interest too.  
  
DratiniRocket: My first "OR ELSE!" Oh, that makes me so happy! Thank you!  
  
Hopefully I can keep *everyone's* attention; this story is very long (70k+ words, last count, believe it or not) and has a few slow parts to it, but I intend to fix those in the final revisions. It is complete, and will probably be posted fairly quickly too, so don't worry. ^_^  
  
By the way, if you happen to notice any glaring errors of grammar or spelling, please point them out to me. Heck, you can even point out the tiny ones that I might have missed - I'm a perfectionist to the extreme, and even the thought that my baby might not be perfect makes me ill. ^_^ (even though this isn't my most favorite story that I've ever written)  
  
Okay, I'm done now. Really. ^_^ 


	3. Part 2

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 2  
  
Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever (or most likely will ever) own the Sorcerer Hunters. Sadly, like every other fanfiction writer out there, I can only borrow them from Akahori and Omishi for a few pages, and then I have to give them back. However, Vanilla, Celery, Ramen, Sauerkraut, Bagel, Lox, Split Pea, and the Ipecac Forest are all creations of my imagination.  
  
Warnings: Awkward moments and lots of confusion for a certain mage ^_^ Marron also might be a little OOC in this chapter, but maybe not.  
  
Stuff in * * are thoughts.  
  
Marron woke slowly, moaning in protest to the cool cloth stroking his overheated forehead.  
  
"Shh," said an unfamiliar silvery voice. "It's all right now."  
  
He opened his golden eyes carefully, but shut them again quickly. The light in the room was far too bright, and it burned his suddenly sensitive eyes.  
  
"Tira?" he asked, confused. *How can she be here? Are they back already?*  
  
"No," said the voice. "My name is Vanilla."  
  
Marron turned his head, looking for the owner of the voice, but saw only a blur of silver, white and brown in a human-like shape. The only color in her face came from the two large deep purple blurs of her eyes.  
  
He did not recognize her at all, either by voice or the blurry vision of her seated next to his bed. He shifted uncomfortably, and gasped in sudden pain.  
  
*If I could just see I wouldn't be so helpless,* he thought desperately.  
  
"Don't try to move," the sweet voice continued. A soft hand pressed gently against his shoulder. "You just came out of a bad fit."  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to focus on her face. "Where . . . where am I?" *Why can't I see? What's wrong with me?*  
  
"You are in my house," she replied gently. "Can you tell me your name?"  
  
"My brother . . . where is my brother?" he demanded, sudden panic making his voice shrill.  
  
"Shh," she said softly, soothingly. "It's all right. Just calm down." Her hand stroked his cheek, and suddenly his vision cleared. His golden eyes widened in surprise, and his heart skipped a beat.  
  
The woman bending over him had long silver hair, and dazzling purple, almond shaped eyes. Her complexion was pale, her slim face oval. Her thin, feathery eyebrows were as silver as her hair, and furrowed slightly in her concern. Her full, pale red lips curved in a faint, reassuring smile that smoothed her forehead and warmed his blood.  
  
*She's . . . she's beautiful . . .*  
  
"What is your name?" she asked softly.  
  
*Even her voice is lovely,* he thought dazedly.  
  
"Marron Glace," he replied mechanically, still mesmerized by her eyes.  
  
Her mouth curved into another smile, and he found his eyes strangely drawn to her pale red lips, tracing the delicate curves with his gaze.  
  
"Have you ever had a fit like this before?" she asked, her tone still soft and soothing, but somehow business-like.  
  
He looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Do you remember what happened at the inn?"  
  
Marron frowned, looking away from those deep, mysterious eyes that clouded his mind. *What is this?* he wondered. *I would know if she was using magic to charm me into revealing something, but this doesn't feel like that . . . so what's going on?*  
  
"I was . . . waiting for someone," he replied guardedly, looking up at her warily. Instantly, he realized his mistake when he met her eyes again, for they caught and held his gaze. He didn't think that he could resist telling her everything that she wanted to know when she looked at him like that.  
  
*This isn't good . . .* he thought, but it was too late.  
  
"Do you remember anything about the fire?" she asked, her deep purple eyes intent on his.  
  
A slight shiver ran down his spine as he stared back at her. *What's wrong with me?* he wondered. *Why am I feeling this way? Who is this woman?*  
  
"No," he said hesitantly. "What happened? Where am I? Who are you?"  
  
The woman smiled. "Let me start over," she said. "My name is Vanilla Cream. This is the guest bedroom in my home. The healer Ramen in the town of Split Pea brought you here about five days ago, after you became delusional."  
  
*I remember Ramen; he was the one who recommended Vanilla, but . . . five days?* Marron stared at her incredulously; the spell was broken, so to speak. "I've been here for five days?"  
  
Vanilla nodded. "The fit you were having was not natural, was it?"  
  
He looked at her warily, studying her silently for a moment. "No," he said finally.  
  
Vanilla's purple eyes swept over him once, and he fought against the urge to blush as a wave of heat passed through him, following her gaze.  
  
"Was it Bagel or Lox?" she asked quietly, her expression solemn.  
  
"What do you mean?" Marron asked suspiciously, suddenly cold again.  
  
Her lips curved in a charming smile, her mysterious eyes sparkling with amusement, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. One slim, pale hand tucked a stray strand of her long silver hair behind her delicate ear. He watched the movement, fascinated by her gracefulness, and almost jumped in surprise when he saw that the top of her ear was slightly elongated and unmistakably pointed.  
  
"I assure you, my people are not supportive of sorcerers," she said in response to his thoughts, and he flushed, embarrassed. "I merely monitor their activities and report back what I feel my people need to know. You have nothing to fear from me, Sorcerer Hunter."  
  
"Your people?" he asked. Then, with a cold, sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, he added, "You know what I am."  
  
"Yes," she replied with a beautiful smile that nearly made his heart stop. "I believe we are called elves in your tongue."  
  
*I didn't know there were elves in the Ipecac Forest . . . how strange. I thought they had left this world.*  
  
"And . . . how do you know that - " He broke off uncomfortably, afraid to ask how she had read him so easily when he could discern so little about her.  
  
"That you are a Sorcerer Hunter?" she supplied. "It wasn't hard. Why else would you carry these around?" She pointed to the table beside the bed where his ofuda lay in a neat pile. "Eastern Magic, right?"  
  
Marron nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "I thought that you - "  
  
Vanilla shrugged. "You have no reason to trust me," she replied.  
  
"But you cared for me while I was unconscious for five days, and - "  
  
She shrugged again. "I could have lied," she pointed out.  
  
Marron shifted uneasily on the bed, wincing in renewed pain as his muscles protested the movement. At once, Vanilla frowned and leaned over, reaching out to touch his forehead. He felt a light surge, and suddenly the pain was gone.  
  
Her soft fingers trailed down his cheek as her hand withdrew, and he repressed a shiver at the soft caress. It left his skin tingling and him wondering if the caress had been intentional or not.  
  
*I . . . I do not think that she will harm me,* he thought cautiously, studying her face silently. *I think that I can trust her that far . . . for now.*  
  
"Is that better?" Vanilla asked softly, her eyes on his.  
  
Vanilla was still leaning forward, and Marron discovered something interesting. She was wearing a loose off-white tunic with a deep v-neck, and he was getting a very good view of the upper slopes of her pale breasts.  
  
*Oh my god . . . What's wrong with me?!* he wondered desperately. *I shouldn't be looking there . . . I shouldn't be acting like Carrot! She'll think I'm a pervert!*  
  
Even so, he couldn't stop staring.  
  
"Marron?" Vanilla said gently, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
He tore his eyes from her pale skin, trying futilely not to blush.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked, the deep purple of her eyes faintly troubled as she gazed at him.  
  
"Uh-um, yes," he stammered. "I-I'm fine."  
  
"Are you sure?" she murmured, sliding closer, her hand outstretched.  
  
That just made it worse. Now he was noticing her slender waist, and her shapely hips, especially since her soft brown leather breeches were skin-tight, and the tunic barely covered her to her waist over her breeches.  
  
Marron drew back sharply, trying to keep as much distance between them that he could. She paused, startled.  
  
"I'm fine," he said, a little more sharply than he'd intended to.  
  
Vanilla blinked once, staring at him. Her gaze was puzzled for a moment, but as she studied him, she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, and sat back in her chair. He could almost hear her disgusted thought: Humans.  
  
"I'm fine, Vanilla," he said more softly a moment later, chagrinned. "I - Thank you," he finished awkwardly.  
  
Vanilla smiled again, but absently, her gaze searching his face intently. It took a considerable effort not to blush under her scrutiny.  
  
"You should get some rest," she said quietly, reaching out to pull the blankets up around him. He allowed her to do so, repressing the urge to take her slender hand in his and press it against his cheek. "You can tell me what happened to you and your party later."  
  
Vanilla's slim hand moved from tucking the blankets around him to caress his cheek gently. He jumped slightly, startled by her forwardness, but then sank back into the softness of the pillows beneath his head, suddenly very weary for some reason.  
  
"Sleep now," she whispered softly, and the last thing he saw before his golden eyes slid shut was her slight, gentle smile.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla watched the young mage sleep, frowning slightly. He had confirmed her suspicions, and she could now get someone to contact the Stellar Church. They would probably like to know that one of their Sorcerer Hunters was recovering from some sort of magically induced backlash spell that caused violent fits of delirium.  
  
Someone would then come to pick him up in a week or so, if the danger of the fits had passed. Or possibly even sooner, if one of their healers could control the fits he was suffering like she could. He would have more of them before this strange affliction was done with him.  
  
The problem was, she was now strangely reluctant to do so. He was the first visitor outside of Split Pea that she had had in a long time, aside from those of her people that brought her supplies once a month. He was also quite. . . interesting - even more so now that he had awakened.  
  
Marron's breathing was deep and even. The fit had passed for now, obviously, and he would hopefully sleep like this for hours.  
  
It had taken only a gentle push from Vanilla to help him sleep; his reserves had been thoroughly depleted by the violence of the fit he had suffered.  
  
*He'll likely be ravenous with hunger when he wakes up,* she thought. *I should have something ready for him then. I may as well tell Ramen that he should definitely contact the Stellar Church while I'm at it, since that is the right thing to do.*  
  
Vanilla sighed, shaking her head. *I don't know why I am acting this way over a human. His reaction to me was more amusing than most of the reactions I get from his kind. I don't think that he will trust me, though. Not that it matters. He doesn't need to trust me to get better. And now I have something more important to deal with: Lox and Bagel are back again, probably for revenge. Those idiots. I'd better take care of them permanently this time.*  
  
She stood up and moved her chair to the corner of the small room. The mage never stirred, even as she quietly and gracefully walked over to the door. She turned back to look at him briefly, her hand on the doorknob reflectively. Shrugging, she turned away again, and opened the door.  
  
"Vanilla . . ."  
  
Her sharp ears picked up the soft sound of her name from the young mage as he sighed in his sleep. She half-turned back in surprise, wondering if he had somehow managed to break the sleeping charm she had put on him.  
  
He hadn't. He was still asleep, a faint smile curving his lips.  
  
She blinked once, watching him, but he said nothing else. With another shrug, she left the room.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Marron sat up when the door to his room opened and the silver-haired woman entered with a tray. She smiled when she saw him, and his hand clenched on the blankets in his lap.  
  
"Vanilla . . ." he said softly, wondering inanely why his brain stopped working the instant she entered the room. (Answer: the Author decrees it =P)  
  
"So you remember me," she said, her silvery voice pleased. He flushed faintly, looking away from her. "That's a good sign. You must be recovering."  
  
"I . . . I feel better," he said shyly, raising his eyes to look at her.  
  
Her answering smile was radiant, and he wondered how he had ever thought that she could not be trusted. He found himself smiling back at her idiotically.  
  
"You must be hungry, then," she said, and set the tray on his lap.  
  
"You made this?" Marron asked, studying the bowl of soup, two thick slices of warm, freshly baked bread, and the apple warily. *I feel like I've been half-starved for a couple of days, but I don't know if . . .*  
  
His earlier doubts returned to plague him relentlessly. He had known too many sorceresses that had used their beauty to trick their enemies into trusting them, and then had taken full advantage of that trust.  
  
Vanilla did not seem to take offense. "I'm not a bad cook," she said with a faint smile. "And it's not poisoned. I don't waste time and energy healing people just to kill them when they wake up."  
  
Her earlier words came back to him: I could have lied.  
  
*She could be lying now . . . even if she is making sense. It all smells so good, though, and I'm really hungry . . .*  
  
Vanilla watched him calmly as she stood beside his bed, meeting his gaze quite serenely when he looked up at her. Still holding her eyes, he picked up the spoon on the tray, and took a bite of the soup.  
  
*Chicken noodle,* he noted absently. *Wonderfully prepared, too.*  
  
"This is delicious," he said quietly, smiling faintly at her.  
  
She smiled, amused. "Were you expecting it not to be?" she asked.  
  
*I did it again!* Marron thought, ashamed. He flushed in embarrassment.  
  
"Well, no, but - " His flush deepened.  
  
*How does she keep doing that to me?*  
  
Vanilla smiled again. "I understand." She turned to leave, and he flushed again as he watched her slim, willowy body sway toward the door.  
  
"Vanilla, wait," he said, reaching out one slender hand toward her. He didn't want her to go yet, even if he didn't know why.  
  
She half-turned, one silver eyebrow raised expectantly.  
  
He swallowed hard, noting the way that her body was poised with her torso turned toward him at her waist, her softly rounded breasts pressing against the cloth of her tunic.  
  
"I-I'm sorry," he said, trying in vain to pretend that he hadn't seen that. "I don't mean to be suspicious, but - "  
  
Vanilla nodded. "I understand. I would feel the same in your situation." She turned around to face him again. "I had Ramen send a letter to the Stellar Church, telling them where you are," she added. "There should be a reply within a few days."  
  
"A few days?"  
  
She nodded. "Pigeons are fast."  
  
"Oh." He looked back down at the tray, slightly disappointed. He had hoped that he would be able to spend a little more time with her, but if Big Mama knew where he was, she would likely send his brother and the rest of the team here as soon as they finished their mission.  
  
Marron secretly began to hope that the pigeon would get lost for a while.  
  
Meanwhile, Vanilla was leaving again.  
  
"I remember Ramen telling me that you could help me, but how did I get here?" he asked, more out of a desire to keep her there rather than curiosity about the transportation methods.  
  
She smiled, amused, and turned back to him. "Ramen and Sauerkraut brought you here," she replied. "The innkeeper saw that you were delusional. He called Ramen, and then you were brought to me."  
  
"Oh," he said, and looked at the spoon in his hand, then up at her. "What happened?"  
  
"All right," Vanilla said, smiling. "You eat your supper, and I'll tell you."  
  
Marron let out a breath he hadn't known that he was holding until she gracefully retrieved the small wooden chair from the corner of the room and sat next to his bed.  
  
"What exactly do you remember?" she asked.  
  
"I was staying at the Bratwurst Inn while my brother and the others in my team went ahead to finish the mission we were sent on. I remember saying goodbye when they left, and then going to sleep," he replied, and took another bite of the soup.  
  
"So you knew that you were going to be affected by the spell that turned your magic back on you?" she asked shrewdly.  
  
Marron nodded solemnly. "I knew. I did not want to endanger the team, so I stayed behind to recover while they went on ahead."  
  
Vanilla nodded. "Admirable," she remarked cryptically. "How many times did you use your magic after the spell was turned back on you?"  
  
"Twice," he replied reluctantly. "Once to see if my magic was sealed, and again to seal off Bagel's castle."  
  
Vanilla sighed. "That was probably a bad idea."  
  
"It had to be done," Marron replied with a shrug.  
  
She nodded again. "I know. Do you remember anything else?"  
  
"Nothing," he said after a moment of consideration.  
  
"Sauerkraut told me that around midnight he was awakened by his wife Celery when she smelled smoke. It was coming from your room, so he went in to check." Vanilla nodded in response to his widened eyes. "You were delirious with fever, and you had set the floor and the bed on fire."  
  
*Oh, no . . .* His hand clenched on the handle of the spoon. *Because of me, everyone in Split Pea could have lost their homes or worse . . .*  
  
"Sauerkraut managed to get it put out quickly, but then you attacked him," she went on, her purple eyes sympathetic in response to his growing horror. "He managed to restrain you, while Celery went to get Ramen, the healer in Split Pea. Ramen recognized the fit as a magically induced backlash, and brought you to me immediately."  
  
"Was anyone hurt?" he asked softly, his eyes averted from her.  
  
"No, no one was hurt, and the damage was minimal, considering the spell you used," she said, and he sighed in relief. Her words were not very comforting, but he was glad that no one had been injured because of him. "Sauerkraut has already fixed that room, so you don't need to worry about it," she added. "He won't charge you for it, either."  
  
"Why not?" Marron asked, startled. "I would be willing to - "  
  
"He knows that it is not your fault," Vanilla interrupted. "His daughter Lettuce is also a mage, and this sort of thing has happened to her before."  
  
"I still don't feel right about it," he argued.  
  
Vanilla shook her head. "Just concentrate on recovering for now," she told him, and eyed the tray that she had brought him critically. "While you're at it, you could finish eating too."  
  
Marron flushed. "Sorry," he said, and quickly finished the soup.  
  
"That's better," she said with a smile.  
  
"Are you a healer?" he asked as he picked up a slice of bread.  
  
"Yes," she replied, shifting on her chair. "I have a lot of experience with magic backlash, which is why Ramen contacted me. I'm usually the one that takes care of everything that he can't."  
  
"Does that happen often?"  
  
"No," she said. "Ramen is a very competent healer. I only get the really unusual cases."  
  
"How do you know Bagel and Lox?" he asked then. "Not that I think you're in league with them or anything - "  
  
Vanilla just smiled, amused. "I've been watching them for a long time. My people were worried that they might pose a threat to us, but so far they only seem to be interested in their own petty desires."  
  
"Who are your people, exactly?" he asked curiously. "What do you call yourselves?"  
  
"Our name for ourselves is too complicated for humans to pronounce," she replied, and shrugged. "Otherwise I would tell you."  
  
"Do your people all look like you?" he asked then, and blushed furiously as he realized how that had sounded.  
  
Another amused smile curved her lips. "There are many variations, as in humans," she replied, her purple eyes sparkling with humor.  
  
*I should do what she says and just finish eating,* he thought, flushing. *I'm making a fool of myself in front of her. I almost wish that Carrot were here . . . at least he wouldn't be tongue-tied in front of someone that is as beautiful as she is. Although, if he were here, he would be trying to get her to sleep with him, which would probably bother her. I wouldn't really have to talk then, though, especially if the others were here too. I could just watch her . . .*  
  
"Any more questions?" Vanilla asked, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
Marron shook his head, too flustered to speak. *How does she keep doing this to me? I don't understand it at all.*  
  
"All right then," she said, and stood up. He discretely observed her every movement out of the corner of his eye. "I can bring you some books to read, or if you're feeling up to a change of scenery, I could take you down to see my garden."  
  
Marron looked up at her, intrigued. "I would like to see your garden."  
  
*I wouldn't mind learning more about you in the process too,* he thought.  
  
Vanilla smiled and nodded. "I'll take you once you finish that slice of bread," she said, eyeing the piece in his hand.  
  
Marron smiled back sheepishly. "All right," he said.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
*He's trying not to blush. How interesting,* she thought, repressing a smile as she supported Marron's lean frame with her body. *Butterscotch doesn't call me the Ice Maiden for nothing, though. He's intriguing, but I don't want to get involved, especially with a Sorcerer Hunter from the Stellar Church.*  
  
"It's not much further," Vanilla said as she helped him off the last step. "Just through this hallway and out the door. There's a bench you can sit on."  
  
Marron nodded, wincing slightly as his sore and strained muscles protested the exercise. It was good for him to get out of bed, though, as it would help him to recover faster from the damage done by the spell.  
  
Suddenly, the mage paused, staring at something with those fascinating golden eyes. Vanilla had never seen anyone with eyes like his. She couldn't help staring at them, especially when he wasn't paying attention.  
  
"What is that?" Marron asked, his beautiful eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
Vanilla glanced over in the direction he was looking in, and realized that he was looking at the only locked and magically warded door in her entire house. "That would be the room that my scrying crystal is in," she replied.  
  
"Why is the room so heavily warded? It hardly seems necessary."  
  
"That crystal is very powerful and very dangerous. It's not a good idea to leave it unattended so that just anyone can use it. I can scry outward, but things can also come back through the crystal if the person I happen to be watching notices me."  
  
"Do you ever spy on the Stellar Church?" he asked quietly, tensing.  
  
Vanilla rolled her eyes. "They're so heavily shielded against my crystal's magic that I couldn't even if I wanted to," she replied, and he relaxed.  
  
*Interesting. He will take my word on this. I had not expected that so soon.*  
  
"I'm sorry - " he started.  
  
"You say that too much," she chided before he could continue, and softened the words with a smile. Marron blushed, and looked away from her. To end the slightly awkward moment for him, Vanilla took another step, and he moved with her. In another few feet, she had helped him over the threshold and into her garden.  
  
"Is it evening already?" he asked, looking at the purple and orange streaked sky in surprise. "How long was I asleep?"  
  
"Several hours," Vanilla replied. "You must have needed it."  
  
Marron frowned, but did not comment. He simply allowed her to help him over to the nearest bench, and sat down with her.  
  
"Are you comfortable?" she asked from where she sat very close to him with his arm still around her shoulders.  
  
Marron looked at her, and his blush deepened as he realized just how close she was to him. "Y-yes," he stammered, his golden eyes confused and embarrassed all at once.  
  
Vanilla smiled at him. "Good," she said, and slid out from under his arm. He blushed again as she stood up. She pretended not to notice how deeply red his face was becoming. *I feel kind of bad, teasing him like this,* she thought. *It's really fun to make his face turn red like that, but I should stop doing it.*  
  
"What do you think?" Vanilla asked, gesturing around the pleasant little walled-off garden with its clumps of oak and aspen trees, vines covering the walls, and the flowerbeds sprawled everywhere there wasn't a marble path.  
  
*I hope he likes it,* she thought anxiously. *Wait a minute - since when do I care what anyone thinks of my garden? I love it in here, and it shouldn't matter to me if someone who will only ever see it a few times before he leaves likes it or not.*  
  
She shook off her uncomfortable thoughts and watched Marron look around him.  
  
"It's beautiful," he said, amazed. "I've never seen anything like this."  
  
Vanilla smiled, pleased. "I'd be surprised if you had."  
  
He slid forward on the bench, looking around eagerly. "Those are aspen trees, aren't they?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied. "I planted them because their leaves turn gold in the fall. I've always been fascinated with the color gold."  
  
Marron started in surprise, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, but her calm expression gave him no indication that she had noticed.  
  
*There I go, teasing him again. Poor Marron,* she thought guiltily.  
  
"There are so many colors," he went on after a moment. "It's wonderful."  
  
"I like a lot of colors too," she replied with a smile.  
  
"Did you do all of this by yourself?" he asked.  
  
"Mostly, yes," she replied. "My brother Orange helped a little with the trees and some of the flowering vines. My sisters Lemon and Ravensara brought me most of the seeds for the plants that you see here from our homeland."  
  
"Where is your homeland?" Marron asked.  
  
"Deep within the Ipecac Forest," Vanilla said. "No human has ever been there, to my knowledge."  
  
"Not even from the Stellar Church?" he asked.  
  
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I have never heard anything about that."  
  
"Interesting. I would have thought that the Church would have enlisted your people's help in controlling the sorcerers of Spooner."  
  
Vanilla shook her head. "We only watch; we do not interfere."  
  
He looked at her, frowning. "What about the people of Split Pea?" he demanded. "What would you do if a sorcerer decided to take over the village and kill your neighbors?"  
  
She looked at him coolly. "That has already happened," she replied. "Not too long ago, Bagel and Lox decided to try to drain the life forces of the people of Split Pea to fuel their magic, as I would imagine they have done elsewhere. If they were threatened again, I would do exactly what I did that time: take care of the sorcerers myself. Why do you think that Ramen and Sauerkraut think so highly of me?"  
  
"I-I'm sorry," he said, flustered. "I thought that you only cared about your own people."  
  
Vanilla sighed. "You should stop thinking so much," she said without thought, and almost bit her tongue after the words were out.  
  
Marron lowered his eyes, his unhappiness plain in the set of his shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said again.  
  
"No, I'm sorry," she demurred. "I do not get very many visitors, and I think my skills as a hostess are slipping."  
  
"I'm the one who has suspected you of working with sorcerers, spying on the Stellar Church, and trying to poison me all in the same day," he pointed out. "I don't blame you for being angry."  
  
"I'll forgive you if you forgive me," Vanilla said gently, and smiled warmly when he looked up at her shyly.  
  
He smiled back hesitantly. "Deal," he agreed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes: Yay! Three more reviews! And one of them is a repeat reviewer! So again I must give out thank you's:  
  
JRM: Yippee, I still have your attention! You're welcome, and thank you for reading and reviewing a second time. Of course I read your review. The whole point of fanfiction writing revolves around the reader's responses, at least for me. ^_^ I really do care what you think about my stuff. And you should *definitely* let me know when you post your fanfic. I'm going to make it a point to read the stories of the people who review mine. Let me know if you need anything, should you decide you want my help. ^_^  
  
Quatre's girl: Thank you! I've actually been writing for years, and this is just the first fanfic that I've ever had the courage to post. As for the um, closeness, of the pairing . . . well . . . I don't want to give anything away. Let's just say that it's unexpected for the rest of the Hunters. I only ask that you give it a fair chance, and if you don't like what I've done to poor Marron, I will understand if you don't read any further. Oh, and I'll probably change the rating. On further reflection, I think you might be right about that. ^_^  
  
Aelis: Thank you! I'm glad you like what I had so far, and I hope you liked this chapter too. ^_^  
  
Wow, I talk way too much in these author's notes.  
  
Well, everyone, thank you for reading, and don't forget to tell me what you think so far. Reviews make my days go so much better. ^_^  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	4. Part 3

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 3  
  
Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat it again? Don't sue; it's still not mine, unless otherwise specified or the character happens to live in Split Pea or is an elf. Then they're mine.  
  
Warnings: Implied lemon (but no gory details), more awkwardness and torture for Marron. ^_^  
  
Stuff in * * still means thoughts.  
  
In the middle of the night, hours after Vanilla had helped Marron back to bed, the first wave of pain that signaled the beginning of another seizure tore through him, wrenching him awake. Marron sat up sharply, not even noticing the malevolent greenish light emanating from his body as he squeezed his eyes shut, tensing against the pain.  
  
Thankfully, the first wave passed quickly, and he opened his eyes, shaking and disoriented with the rapid transition from deeply asleep to wide-awake. He knew that it wasn't over yet, though, and he also knew that it would get worse.  
  
*This is the third fit,* he thought. *How many more of these will I have to suffer before I'm cured? How many people will be injured or killed because of these stupid fits? I wish Niisan and the others were here . . . well, maybe just Niisan and Tira.*  
  
The second wave hit, and he groaned in pain, doubling over as it shot through his belly, twisting and coiling inside of him. This wave was much more intense than the first one, and lasted for about five minutes before releasing him to half-collapse back onto the pillow.  
  
Marron raised his head with an effort and looked at the small stone sitting on the table beside the bed. Vanilla had given it to him just before she bade him goodnight, just in case.  
  
If you need anything, just pick up this stone and think of me, she'd said, her brilliant purple eyes solemn. I will come.  
  
*I'm losing it,* Marron thought, sick with dread. *I don't want to hurt Vanilla, but I can't hold on much longer.*  
  
With a bit of a struggle, he dragged his body into a sitting position and reached over to the table for the stone that Vanilla had given him. His fingers curled around it just as another violent wave of pain wracked his slender frame. His awareness faded rapidly to the small stone in his hand as the intensity of the pain crashed down on him.  
  
*Vanilla,* he thought, and his vision started to go dim. *Vanilla, help me . . .*  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla felt the summons and was awake instantly. Without conscious thought, she sat up and shoved the blankets aside, practically leaping out of her bed.  
  
Marron's room was just a few feet away from her door. She hissed at the feel of the energy pulsing from within the room; it gave her a very powerful, almost physical shove backwards, but did not make her lose her balance.  
  
*This isn't good. Marron must be having another fit, but this is different from the other one . . . or is it just that the spell that backlashed on him can have different effects? Damn you, Lox! Just what are you trying to accomplish by tormenting this poor man?*  
  
Vanilla countered the energy's pulse with a gentle deflection charm, making a ripple in it big enough to allow her to reach the door. Then she had to shove the door open with all of her weight to get it to move aside so that she could enter the room.  
  
An eerie greenish light suffused the entire room, emanating from the mage's body. Vanilla started in surprise, then hurried forward to help him.  
  
Marron was sitting up on the bed, with his legs over the side and every muscle tensed and trembling with the strain. He was hunched over at the waist, his hands clenched in the blankets on either side of him, panting heavily and gasping with pain. His yukata was wide open, and the left sleeve had slipped down his shoulder to his elbow. A thin sheen of sweat covered his entire body, glistening in the greenish light.  
  
"Marron, can you hear me?" Vanilla asked, kneeling in front of him to look up into his face. She did not touch him just yet, having not been able to see how badly he was affected by the spell this time.  
  
"It's . . . it's getting . . . worse," he gasped out, trembling in agony. A low cry accompanied the painful spasm that suddenly wracked his slender frame, and his hands gripped her shoulders painfully tight. "Vanilla . . . help me . . ."  
  
Vanilla lifted her hands, cupping both of his cheeks. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the energy pulsing wildly through Marron's body, tugging it toward her and out of him, grounding it into the earth as fast as she could.  
  
It wasn't enough. Marron's hands tightened on her shoulders, and he cried out again, twisting and writhing with the pain. His yukata slipped down his other shoulder, baring his slender body from the waist up. Vanilla gritted her teeth and pulled harder at the power feeding the spasms.  
  
"Vanilla," he panted, and she looked up to see his tormented face inches away from hers, his golden eyes reflecting his agony. "I . . . need you . . ."  
  
Before the meaning of this statement could penetrate her confusion, Marron slid his arms around her, pulling her up against his body, and seized her lips with his own. She gasped in surprise, and he took full advantage of the slight parting of her lips to deepen the kiss.  
  
His tongue swept into her mouth, and his arms clutched her desperately against him. One of his hands buried itself in her hair, holding her still. Vanilla trembled, forgetting herself enough to press her body closer to his with a soft moan, slipping her arms around him. That was all the incentive he needed to pull her into his lap, sliding back on the bed so that both of them would fit.  
  
Marron's hands untied the sash of her yukata, sliding inside over her suddenly very warm and hyper-sensitized skin as he parted the satiny fabric. One of his hands cupped her breast gently, and she arched into his touch, moaning again.  
  
*What am I thinking? I can't do this!*   
  
Then she noticed something strange.  
  
*But the spell is draining a lot faster this way . . . is that what he meant when he said that he needs me? Is this the reason that Lox put the spell on him? What is she trying to do - embarrass him to death when he wakes up in the morning? He won't remember this, and I'm certainly not going to say anything. It doesn't make any sense. I'm the one she has the grudge against.*  
  
Marron broke the kiss to trail his lips down her throat greedily, nipping at her sensitive skin. The reality of the situation once more entered into Vanilla's mind, and she started when his tongue flickered over the hollow of her throat.  
  
"Marron, you shouldn't do this to yourself," she whispered even as her embrace tightened when his head dipped slightly lower. "My people mate for life. It is our custom to - " She broke off with a gasp, trying not to think about what his hands were doing.  
  
*He's not listening to me,* she thought frantically, even as she arched into his soft caresses.  
  
"Listen to me," she said pleadingly, breaking off with another gasp. "My people, we . . . we marry our first lovers - "  
  
"I need you," he begged, his voice sounding less strained with pain and more ragged with desire. "All of you, please . . ." She could feel an unmistakable bulge pressing against her thigh as he pulled her closer to him, and her eyes widened.  
  
*I don't get it, but this is definitely helping me ground the energy faster. It may even cure his backlash completely if I can drain the spell this way. And . . . even Ice Maidens get lonely . . .*  
  
Marron pushed her down on the bed gently but insistently. She did not resist.  
  
*He may not even remember this tomorrow . . .* This thought saddened her, but she tilted her chin, kissing him quickly. *Right now, I don't care. He doesn't ever have to know. And the spell on him will be gone.*  
  
"I'm here," she whispered back, touching his face gently.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Lox opened her eyes and unfolded her legs, taking a deep breath. The dreaming incense she used for meditating was still strong in the air, and she inhaled its sweet, tangy scent with relish, smirking a little to herself.  
  
"Well?" Bagel demanded, pausing in mid-stride to glare at her before resuming his impatient pacing in front of her little shrine.  
  
Lox ignored him for a moment as she sinuously stretched her long, lithe body and stood up all in one motion. Her golden sandals, adorned with rubies, sparkled in the light from the golden lamps hanging from the ceiling, and the anklet of tiny golden bells adorning her left ankle chimed sweetly as she took a single step forward. She stretched again, smiling inwardly as Bagel's eyes almost involuntarily dropped to the curves her low-cut red dress clung to like a second skin, and raised her yellow eyes to meet his gaze as it returned to her face.  
  
"The spell has served its purpose," she reported, allowing her smile to grace her lips. "It won't be long now, with the other Sorcerer Hunters suitably distracted at the moment on their fruitless quest. And the Eastern Magic user's threat to us will be completely negated very soon."  
  
Bagel's eyes traveled over her body again. "Good," he said shortly. "I must confess, my dear, I had my doubts about this plan of yours at first, but it seems as though everything is right on schedule so far."  
  
"Of course it is," Lox retorted, affecting a pout. "Have I ever given you a reason to doubt that my methods will produce results?"  
  
He smiled, stepping forward onto the rich red carpet laid out on the raised dais her altar stood upon, and reached out to brush her pale cheek with the back of his hand. "Never, my love," he replied smoothly. "I have always found your methods to have a certain . . . creativity in their execution. You know how much I enjoy learning over and over just how devious and insidious you can be."  
  
Lox smiled back. "Insidious," she repeated, pleased. "I do love that word."  
  
"And with this, my heart, you have outdone yourself," Bagel murmured, his blue eyes glowing with pride as he cupped her face in his hands. "I never even dreamed it was possible to get rid of the most dangerous group of Sorcerer Hunters and that whore who nearly killed me in one fell swoop. How did I ever manage without you, darling?"  
  
"Poorly, I'm sure, beloved," Lox replied with a smile as she leaned forward to kiss Bagel softly. "And just think, precious, it's hardly even begun yet . . ."  
  
Bagel chuckled as he closed the slight distance between them. "Not even in the slightest, my sweet," he agreed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes: I know this chapter is short, but I had to split it into two pieces since these parts needed a break in between. I really want to know what people think of what happens next, though, so I'm posting the next chapter right after this one. I'm very nervous because this story takes kind of a strange twist at this point. Well, it's strange to me. ^_^  
  
I'm having a lot of fun with this, and of course, it is all due to my wonderful reviewers. ^_^ Today they were four as of 6:45 PM Colorado time, and all four of them have reviewed me before! I'm so, so happy!  
  
Quatre's girl: Yay! You came back! I was hoping you would. ^_^ I've had that same "Wow I love you" issue with a couple of other Marron fics, too, and it always had me wondering how he got to that point. Glad you like it so far. ^_^ Angst is definitely good. ^_^  
  
JRM: Yay! You've reviewed three times! (Insert happy dance here). That definitely makes you very special! ^_^ Thanks a bunch, and let me know your pen name if it's different from JRM when you post your fic. I don't want to miss it. ^_^  
  
DratiniRocket: Another or "else!" I can die happy now! ^_^ Are you posting more of It's a Whole New World We Live In soon? ^_^  
  
And, last but not least:  
  
NCDavis: Thanks for your email. ^_^ I think I confused you with someone else because I thought you'd updated Fair Game, and you haven't yet. Sigh . . . It will be out soon right? It wasn't finished yet, right?  
  
Thank you all very much for reading this, and please remember to leave a review for me. ^_^ It only takes a couple of sentences to make me happy, even if you totally hated what I wrote.  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	5. Part 4

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 4  
  
Disclaimer: Still not mine unless I said otherwise. I promised to put them back, and I will . . . eventually. ^_^  
  
Warnings: More elves. Poor Marron! More torture, and he learns more than he ever thought he would about elvish customs.  
  
Author's Note: I had so much trouble writing this part. It took forever, and I almost gave up on this. I would have, too, if I hadn't been able to write the part that comes after this. Since I was able to, I figured that I had an obligation to finish it, but it didn't make it less painful. Suggestions are always welcome.  
  
Marron drifted slowly back to consciousness, guided by a strangely familiar sweet scent filling his nostrils. He stretched lazily, turning over on his side and pulling the blankets closer around him, not quite ready to fully wake up yet.  
  
He heard a faint sigh, and felt something warm and soft press against him. The gentle, sweet fragrance grew a little stronger, and he could feel Vanilla's warm, gentle breaths spilling over his shoulder.  
  
*Vanilla?* he thought drowsily. Why would I think that she's here?*  
  
He opened his eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight streaming in through the window, and focused on the long silver hair that spilled everywhere, gleaming like a bright river. It flowed over his chest, the blankets, and the body of the woman lying next to him.  
  
*It is Vanilla,* he thought with a start of surprise. *But what is she doing here? And what . . . oh my god. She's naked . . .*  
  
Vanilla had shifted in her sleep, unconsciously pushing the blankets down to expose her full, rounded breasts. Marron flushed red to his hairline, but he couldn't stop staring at her.  
  
*She's beautiful . . . absolutely beautiful. So pale and perfect . . . Oh my god, she's waking up! What do I do?!*  
  
Vanilla's purple eyes slowly opened. He met her steady gaze for a brief moment, and looked away, flushing. He couldn't even speak after one look into her eyes, even though he desperately wanted . . . when he wanted to . . .  
  
Marron's flush deepened. *What's going on? Why can't I think about anything but her . . .* He shut his eyes tightly to avoid having his gaze stray to her breasts again.  
  
Vanilla's legs withdrew from their tangle with his, leaving him feeling strangely cold now that he was bereft of her warmth, and wishing that she hadn't woken up just yet. She sat up, pulling the blankets with her to cover her chest, and turned her slim, pale back on him. Only then did he deem it safe to open his eyes again, realizing his mistake as he was confronted with the sight of her smooth, unblemished skin.  
  
Marron was almost overcome with the urge to run his fingers down her silver hair-streaked spine to make her shiver, but the gravity of the circumstances imposed itself on him with brutal forcefulness.  
  
"Vanilla, I . . ." he started.  
  
"I suppose that you are wondering what happened," Vanilla said after a moment when he didn't continue. She half-turned to look at him, and he repressed the self-conscious urge to pull the blankets up over his chest. "I drained the spell. You will never have any more fits."  
  
"H-how did you drain the spell?" he asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"I channeled it through my body into the earth," she replied, half-turning back around again. "It was not too difficult."  
  
"Vanilla . . . did we . . ." His mouth went dry, and he couldn't finish.  
  
Vanilla sighed, and turned around fully, which just made it worse for Marron. Now he could see her face, illumined in sunlight, her silver hair gleaming, her eyes shining mysteriously.  
  
"Yes," she replied steadily.  
  
"Oh my god," Marron whispered, sitting up. He put his head in his hands, hardly able to believe this was happening to him. "Did I . . . did I hurt you?"  
  
Vanilla started in surprise. "Of course not," she said indignantly. "You did not rape me, if that's what you're thinking."  
  
"It's just that I don't . . . I don't remember," he whispered, looking at her miserably.  
  
*I can almost hear what Niisan would say: "You slept with a beautiful woman like her and you don't remember it?!"*  
  
Vanilla merely nodded steadily. "I assumed that you would not," she replied quietly. "This fit was far worse than the other one you had when you first came here. It might have killed you if I had not drained the spell."  
  
She shifted her weight onto her other hip, turning away from him again. "If you wish, we could pretend that this never happened," she added, her tone as calm as if she were merely discussing a trivial matter, not something as important than one night ruining her entire life.  
  
*How can she be so calm? Why isn't she screaming at me? How am I managing to not flip out and run around the room screaming at myself?*  
  
"But . . . what if you're . . . pregnant?" Marron's voice dropped on the last word, and his hand clenched in the blankets as he watched her turn back to him slowly.  
  
"I don't know," she confessed, lowering her eyes. She pressed one hand to her belly, frowning. "It's too soon for me to tell . . ."  
  
"What do your people do in these situations?" he asked desperately.  
  
Vanilla raised her deep purple eyes to meet his calmly. "My people mate for life," she replied, the gravity of her tone spoiled by the rosy blush that suffused her pale cheeks.  
  
"Oh," Marron said inadequately. He blushed too, and looked away from her self-consciously. "Am I . . . your first?"  
  
She lowered her eyes, her blush deepening. "Yes," she said softly.  
  
*Oh my god . . . I've totally ruined her life.*  
  
After a long, awkward moment, Vanilla broke the silence. "Why don't we continue this discussion over breakfast? I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry."  
  
Marron nodded, suddenly realizing that he was rather famished himself.  
  
"I'll go get dressed," she said, reaching past him to pick up a light blue yukata and sash from the floor. Her side brushed his arm, and he repressed a shiver, having not realized just how close she had been sitting to him.  
  
"I'll meet you downstairs in the kitchen," Vanilla murmured as she slipped the yukata on and tied the sash firmly. She climbed off the bed and walked silently out of the room.  
  
Marron buried his face in his hands again, letting his long black hair fall forward to hide his face. "What am I going to do?" he whispered softly.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla opened the kitchen door and walked in, but stopped abruptly. There were boxes and cartons and bags everywhere, and two golden-haired, greenish-yellow-eyed elves seated at her kitchen table. They watched her silently, their eyes sparkling with amusement.  
  
"Amaretto?" Vanilla said in surprise. She had not expected to see him when she walked into her kitchen. "And Lemon? What are you doing here? Isn't it a little early for you to be delivering my supplies?"  
  
Her sister ignored her question and stood, looking at Amaretto with an amused half-smile curving her lips. "The Ice Maiden has melted," she said, unable to stop the grin that nearly split her face in half. "Who's the father?"  
  
Vanilla started in surprise, staring at Lemon blankly. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she heard a soft voice from behind her.  
  
"She's pregnant?" Marron said, meeting Vanilla's startled gaze with one of his own. "How can you tell?"  
  
"Do you think I cannot read the vibrations of my own sister's aura?" Lemon asked with another grin and a raised eyebrow. "It's as plain as day to me that she is carrying a new life in her belly."  
  
Amaretto just grinned. "So this is the lucky one who melted the Ice Maiden," he chuckled, and Marron jumped in surprise. "I'll send a message to Butterscotch when we get back," he added, laughter dancing in his greenish-yellow eyes. "She'll be thrilled to know that you're finally getting married."  
  
Marron stared at him as if he had just grown horns. "Married?" he repeated blankly, looking at Vanilla as if for help or protection from Amaretto.  
  
"We should be going now, heart-mate," Lemon said, taking her husband's arm and pulling him to his feet. "They obviously have a lot to talk about, and we now have a wedding to plan for them."  
  
Amaretto looked crestfallen. "I've been looking forward to Vanilla's cooking for weeks," he protested. "We can't just leave without - "  
  
"She can make you something next time," Lemon promised, patting his shoulder comfortingly.  
  
"But - "  
  
"Please, Lemon, you don't have to go," Vanilla interjected, stretching out a slim hand toward her sister. Amaretto looked at his wife hopefully.  
  
*This is all happening so fast . . . I wasn't going to force him into obeying our customs! Please stay, sister, I need your guidance . . .*  
  
"No, I'm afraid that we need to start planning the wedding," Lemon replied cheerfully. "We only have a few days to get everything ready, you know." She winked at her sister, and dragged her protesting husband out the door.  
  
"By the way," she added as she passed Vanilla, "you should have all of the supplies that you need for this month, even with an extra mouth or two to feed. Good luck, you two, and expect Butterscotch to come by formally within a week of the wedding."  
  
Then she was gone, and they were alone.  
  
"Who were those people?" Marron asked.  
  
"My sister, Lemon, and her husband, Amaretto," Vanilla replied. "I'm so sorry, Marron. I did not think that she would react that way, and I assure you, I will not bind you to our customs - "  
  
"You are pregnant," he replied calmly, looking at her. "I am not just going to turn my back on you and walk away."  
  
Inwardly, Vanilla was relieved by those words, even if she was not certain as to why. "I will not make you marry me just because I am carrying your child," she said quietly. "You do not even know me - "  
  
"True," Marron agreed. "But this is my fault. I will take responsibility for it." He raised his golden eyes to meet her gaze determinedly. "Our . . . our child will need a father," he added, "and I owe you my life."  
  
*It's not your fault,* she wanted to say. *You needed help, and I gave it freely. I don't need you to repay me. I would do it again in a heartbeat, if only because I wanted it too . . .*  
  
Vanilla flushed slightly, shyly raising her gaze to meet his.  
  
The look in his eyes, so determined and scared and hopeful all at once, stilled her tongue. She couldn't speak, could hardly breathe for the emotions that choked and silenced her, and she had to look away from him for a moment.  
  
"Vanilla," Marron said softly, and she looked up, startled to notice that he was right in front of her, his golden eyes unhappy. "I'm sorry."  
  
Vanilla stared at him. She wanted to ask him why he said that, why he was agreeing to marry her so easily when he could have just left with no repercussions on him, why he was just standing there, holding out his arms to her . . .  
  
Tears filled her eyes, and she let herself fall into his embrace, sobbing quietly.  
  
Marron just held her.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
*I wish that Niisan and the others were here to see this,* Marron thought as yet another elf from Vanilla's family entered the sitting room, speaking excitedly in a low murmur to Lemon across the room. *That will be my only regret.*  
  
He looked at Vanilla, who was seated next to him on the small couch. She was watching the commotion around them, her expression a little sad.  
  
*Well, other than forcing Vanilla into this marriage by getting her pregnant, that is my only regret,* he amended silently. *Who wouldn't want a wife like her? She's beautiful, smart, kind, and so forgiving . . . why doesn't she hate me for ruining her life?*  
  
*She should be with someone she can love, not someone who humiliated her by getting her pregnant, and then doesn't even remember doing it. And most importantly, someone who will not leave her behind to hunt sorcerers. I still need to go find Niisan and the others to help them find Bagel and Lox, since the spell was drained.*  
  
Marron sighed inwardly, clenching his hands in his lap. *I know that she said it was not rape, but it may as well have been. I don't remember anything about that night; she could be lying to make me feel better. I could have done anything to her while I was under the influence of that fit. I could have killed her . . .*  
  
Vanilla reached over and gently pried his hands apart, threading her fingers through his. Marron looked down at their joined hands, and blushed.  
  
*Even now, how does she do that? How can she make me forget everything but her so easily, even after I ruined her life? I have no right to feel this way . . .*  
  
Vanilla leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, "This will be over soon."  
  
Marron nodded, willing his skin tone to fade to its normal color. He could smell her perfume; a light but intoxicating scent. Her breath was warm on his ear.  
  
"I'm sorry that you have to go through this," Vanilla said then, squeezing his hand. His heart began to pound in his chest, and he fought to keep his breathing regular.  
  
Marron squeezed her hand back, trying to ignore the strange feelings he could barely control. "It's all right. Your family is very large."  
  
Vanilla smiled; he could hear it in her voice. "Gatherings like these do get hectic," she replied.  
  
"All right, everyone!" said the woman that Vanilla had introduced as Tangerine, her mother. Her orange hair and deep green eyes contrasted sharply with her tawny skin as she stood tall and proud in her daughter's home. "We are ready to begin the procession."  
  
"Procession?" Marron asked.  
  
Vanilla nodded. "To the forest," she replied, and stood up, pulling him up with her.  
  
"What for?" he asked. *I can't remember what she told me about this ceremony,* he thought guiltily. *I've never been so nervous in my life.-  
  
"I told you. It's part of the ceremony," she said, and gently tugged him forward to follow her mother out of the room. She never released his hand.  
  
The other elves followed them into the garden and out through the gate. Vanilla's mother carried a torch, as the forest was now pitch black. Tangerine led them into a small clearing not far from Vanilla's house. In the center of the clearing, a quilt and several cushions had been neatly laid out.  
  
Marron and Vanilla were led to the quilt, and then the elves disappeared into the trees, silently melting away like shadows. Tangerine paused to tie the torch to a pole stuck in the ground at one corner of the quilt, then disappeared as well.  
  
Marron stood for a moment, looking around the suddenly empty clearing nervously. Vanilla sank gracefully to the cushions, tugging gently on his hand so that he would sit beside her.  
  
"Where did everyone go?" he asked in a low voice, his golden eyes darting over the clearing suspiciously.  
  
Vanilla looked at him, then shifted on the cushions to lean close to him, wrapping her arm around his. "This is part of the gift-giving ceremony," she replied, her breath warm and gentle in his ear. He repressed a shiver as she threaded her fingers through his again, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "They're forming a line over there." She nodded in the direction of the trees.  
  
Marron looked, but he couldn't see anything. The forest was too dark, and he was paying more attention to Vanilla anyway.  
  
"In a few moments," she continued, seemingly oblivious to his covert scrutiny of her, "they will come out one by one to give us their gifts and wishes for our happiness and prosperity. Don't worry. This won't take long."  
  
He flushed. *How can she read me so easily? She's an enigma to me; I know nothing about her other than what she's told me herself, but I probably give everything away to her with the slightest gesture . . .*  
  
Vanilla's free hand came up, gently turning his head to make him look at her. He stared at her, mesmerized by her shining purple eyes, her mysterious smile.  
  
"They're coming," she whispered, her fingers lightly tracing his jaw line. The simple caress turned his mind to mush, and he could only nod mechanically when she added, "We should act like a real couple tonight, if only for my family's sake."  
  
It was getting harder for Marron to breathe, and even more so a moment later when Vanilla closed the slight gap between them with a soft, achingly chaste kiss.  
  
Her lips were soft as petals, warm and slightly moist against his. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe as long as her lips were pressed to his. He was suddenly acutely aware of how close she was sitting next to him, and of how little effort it would take to wrap his arms around her and push her down on the cushions.  
  
Vanilla pulled away after the shortest, sweetest moment Marron had ever experienced in his life, leaving his entire body tingling and his mind devoid of all thoughts, except one.  
  
*She just . . . she just . . . kissed me . . .*  
  
Marron stared at her, blushing furiously, but Vanilla was looking at the first elf to cross the clearing. She did not appear to have been as affected by the kiss as he was.  
  
A small wooden bowl was pressed into his hands, and filled with a sweet fruit-scented liquid. Vanilla looked at him and smiled gently, raising a similar bowl up to her lips. She drank deeply, closing her eyes, and Marron watched in fascination as the muscles of her slender throat moved with each swallow. She lowered the bowl, and few drops of the dark red liquid adorned her full red lips. She smiled mischievously as her tongue licked up the drops, her purple eyes on his. Marron forgot to breathe again.  
  
"It's fruit juice," Vanilla said in a low voice. "Try it; you'll like it."  
  
Flushing, he tore his eyes from her and sipped the juice. *I'm so glad that this isn't alcohol,* he thought with a shudder. *The last thing I ever want to do is embarrass myself in front of Vanilla and her people by even sniffing something with alcohol in it.*  
  
Tangerine approached them then, carrying a folded quilt. "This is the wedding quilt that Vanilla's father Sage and I used for many years," she said, looking at Marron. "It was passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and from my mother to me in this ceremony for use on the marriage bed. It is my hope that this will serve you well." She bowed, and handed Marron the quilt.  
  
*Marriage . . . bed?* Marron flushed, sneaking a glance at Vanilla self-consciously. *I keep forgetting why we're here.*  
  
"Thank you, Mother," Vanilla said formally, inclining her head toward her mother.  
  
Tangerine smiled. "Be happy," she said sincerely, tears forming in her eyes. She turned away and swiftly sat down on Vanilla's side of the quilt a few feet away.  
  
A man that Marron vaguely remembered seeing before but couldn't quite recall if he had been told his name walked up to the quilt. He had orange hair that was pulled back in a ponytail behind his head and green eyes like Tangerine's, with the same tawny skin coloring. He cast a brief, tender smile toward Tangerine, who was wiping at her eyes with her fingers. He looked at Marron and Vanilla, smiling again, and knelt in front of them.  
  
"I am Sage, Vanilla's father," he said in a soft, pleasant tenor. "These rings were passed from my grandfather to my father, and now from me to you, Marron and Vanilla. They are a tradition in my family to show respect and love between a newly wed couple." He took two slender gold bands and placed them in Marron's hand almost reverently. "It is also a tradition for the groom to place the bride's ring on her finger," he added, with a sly wink at Marron.  
  
Marron looked at Vanilla shyly, and she smiled warmly at him, holding out her left hand, with her third finger raised to indicate where the ring should go. He slipped the ring on her finger, trying not to notice the softness of her skin under his faintly trembling hands.  
  
"Please, take care of each other," Sage said then, his green eyes warm and friendly. "I look forward to the birth of my grandchild." He bowed, and went to offer Tangerine a handkerchief.  
  
Lemon and Amaretto were the next to approach them. "These are for the little one," Lemon said, giving Vanilla a stack of baby blankets and clothes. "Your child will be strong and healthy, sister."  
  
Amaretto handed Marron a wooden box carved with vines. "These are toys for the child," he said, smiling. "They used to belong to Vanilla and her siblings when they were young."  
  
"Thank you," Marron said, lowering his eyes self-consciously to the lid of the box.  
  
"You are welcome," Lemon said, smiling warmly at him. She glanced over at Tangerine. "I'd better go console Mother now. She's losing her last unmarried daughter today, and it's hard on her."  
  
Vanilla smiled. "She won't lose me, sister," she replied softly.  
  
"Tell that to her," Amaretto said, smiling. With that, the two walked over to join Tangerine.  
  
Two tall, slender black-haired and tawny gold-skinned elves that Marron was certain he hadn't met came across the clearing next. As they drew closer, he could see that their eyes were black as jet, and shining happily. He was convinced that both of them were female, until the taller one laughed aloud, gazing at Vanilla with a definite brotherly affection in his eyes.  
  
"The Ice Maiden has melted at long last," he said in a rich baritone, and Marron started in surprise. "I am so glad that you have found happiness, Vanilla-chan."  
  
Surprisingly, Vanilla blushed. "Thank you, Tarragon."  
  
The dark-haired woman laughed too, her eyes warm and affectionate. "Sister," she said in a throaty alto, "we wish you nothing but the best. Our gift to both of you is this charm." She held out a small brown deerskin bag decorated with red, black, and blue feathers and tied shut with a string of tiny green beads. "This will absorb negativity, bring you good fortune, ensure an easy birthing, and" - her jet-black eyes glinted mischievously - "always guarantees that you will have excellent love-making sessions. Just hang it over your bed."  
  
Marron flushed bright red and lowered his eyes, unable to look at the two elves before him. Vanilla laughed nervously, and took the charm from her sister's hand. "Thank you, Ravensara - I think," she said dubiously.  
  
Ravensara grinned, and reached out to stroke Vanilla's cheek in a motherly fashion. "I read the stars for you, sister, and they told me that this union will be hard at first, but it will bring you both joy."  
  
"Thank you," Vanilla said then, more sincerely this time.  
  
Tarragon looked at Marron, who had just recovered, and smiled warmly. "Welcome to the family, Marron," he said quietly.  
  
"Thank you," Marron replied, smiling back faintly.  
  
The two walked over to join the rest of the family, their hands linked.  
  
"Strange pair," Marron noted under his breath.  
  
Vanilla grinned. "Yes. I love them anyway, though." She glanced at the next elf, who came alone, and smiled again. "That's my older brother Orange," she said happily. "I wasn't sure that he would be able to come."  
  
"Why not?" Marron asked.  
  
"He was on a hunting trip. I guess he got back just in time."  
  
"Vanilla," Orange said, beaming broadly. His bright blue eyes contrasted strikingly with his shock of short, unruly bright yellow hair. He carried a tray with a piece of meat that steamed on a plate. "You're lucky that my party got back in time for me to cook this for you. It's the heart of a buck I killed earlier today. I hope it meets with your approval." He set the tray down in front of them. "I also have these." He pulled a small rock out of his pocket that had been split into two halves, revealing a sparkling amethyst interior. "One for each of you. Two halves that make a whole, just like you two." He grinned at his joke, handing them the rock halves, and then produced two small forks. "Eat up while it's still hot."  
  
Marron looked at the steaming deer heart. *I'm supposed to eat this?* He looked to Vanilla again for guidance as she thanked her brother and he moved off to join the rest of the family.  
  
Vanilla picked up a fork, and tore off a piece of the heart. She smiled at him, and offered the bite to Marron. "It tastes a lot better than it looks," she told him.  
  
Hesitantly, he opened his mouth and allowed her to feed it to him. He chewed it for a moment, and was surprised to find that he agreed with Vanilla about the taste.  
  
"It's good," he said in response to her expectant look. Her answering smile was radiant as she took a bite of the heart. They finished the heart fairly quickly between the two of them.  
  
The next elf to approach them was a man, and he came alone as well. Vanilla leaned over and whispered in his ear, "That is Rice Krispie. He tried to court me when we were younger, but I could only see him as a dear friend."  
  
Marron stiffened. "Will he resent me for - "  
  
"No. He knows how I feel, and he would never get in the way of my family's or my own happiness," she replied, and he relaxed a little.  
  
Rice was a very tall and slender elf. His ice-blue hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his gray eyes crinkled in a smile that seemed genuinely happy.  
  
"This is for you, Vanilla," Rice said, handing her a small green silk bag. "They're wildflower seeds that I gathered in the forest."  
  
Vanilla smiled, pleased. "Thank you, Rice," she said.  
  
Rice grinned, and turned to Marron. "This is for you, Marron," he said, handing him a thick leather bound book. "It's a collection of tales from our people's history and mythology."  
  
Marron's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Rice," he said, caressing the cover as he turned the book over in his hands.  
  
Rice smiled. "Glad you like it," he said politely. "This is for the both of you," he added, handing them a bottle. "It's massage oil, scented with the plant that gives dear Vanilla her name." He winked at Marron, who flushed. "It's a very traditional gift among our people for weddings."  
  
"I see," Marron managed to say somehow.  
  
Rice grinned, and leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, is Vanilla a good kisser?" he asked in a loud whisper.  
  
"Oh, dear . . ." Vanilla said with a pained expression, and put a hand to her forehead.  
  
"Uh . . ." Marron could feel his cheeks flaming. He couldn't look at Vanilla.  
  
"Rice!" Lemon hissed from where she sat by Tangerine.  
  
"What?" Rice asked innocently. "I was only curious. She never let me kiss her when I courted her."  
  
"For crying out loud, Rice," Tangerine said irritably. "Just come over here and sit down already!"  
  
Grumbling, Rice did so.  
  
"Sorry about that," Vanilla whispered in his ear. "I didn't think that he would say anything like that."  
  
He laughed weakly. "That's all right," he replied.  
  
Marron lost track of the faces of the other elves that brought them presents and wished them a long, happy marriage. Thankfully, no one else asked him any more embarrassing questions, and the gift giving ceremony passed quickly. Then someone produced some musical instruments; Marron saw several flutes, and a few drums, lutes, and small harps. The musicians began to play, and several elven couples began to dance to the lively melody. Lemon began to sing in a clear, alto voice, and Amaretto joined in with his gentle baritone.  
  
Vanilla smiled, and turned to Marron. Her purple eyes sparkled, and Marron couldn't help smiling back at her. "Dance with me," she entreated, holding out her hand to him.  
  
Marron's smile faded. "What?" he asked hesitantly, not quite certain that he'd heard her right. He flushed nervously. "I don't know how," he added, glancing apprehensively at the pattern the elven dancers whirled and jumped, dipped and embraced in.  
  
"I'll show you," Vanilla said, standing. "It's not hard."  
  
"But - "  
  
"Come on," she said, grinning as she hauled him to his feet. "No one will laugh at you, and I'll be right beside you. It'll be fun."  
  
"A-all right," he consented reluctantly. *She'll be beside me. That won't be so bad.*  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"Marron's not a bad dancer," Lemon commented, watching as Vanilla, playing the enthralled fox captured by Marron, the mighty hunter, wound herself in the sash he held toward the end of the Fox Hunt, a traditional wedding dance.  
  
"Once he got over his shyness, yes," Ravensara murmured, studying the mage.  
  
"It's strange, though, the way he's looking at her," Tarragon said, frowning. "It's like he's afraid of his feelings for her."  
  
Lemon and Ravensara looked, noting that Vanilla was bound in the sash, her back bent slightly over Marron's knee. Both of them were breathing hard, and Marron was bending over Vanilla's "helpless" form. He was staring at her, his mouth slightly parted, as if trying to memorize her features. The music continued around them, and the other dancers were taking this opportunity to steal kisses from their partners. Marron continued to stare at Vanilla, oblivious to what was going on around them.  
  
"I wonder if he'll kiss her?" Amaretto asked, coming up behind Lemon.  
  
Ravensara shook her head. "Probably not, even though it's got to be hard for him to resist her like that."  
  
"I don't quite understand why he's fighting this so much. Could he be afraid that it's just lust, and it'll go away once the hormones subside?" Tarragon mused.  
  
"I think it's deeper than that," Amaretto said. "He is a Sorcerer Hunter, and he may be afraid to get close to her because of that."  
  
"We should do something about that," Lemon said, smiling as Vanilla grinned up at Marron, then slid her arms around his neck and kissed him.  
  
He stiffened in surprise, then relaxed, returning the kiss. A flute trilled merrily, and Vanilla broke the kiss abruptly, spinning away from him as she unwound the sash. The other "captives" did the same, but Marron only had eyes for Vanilla. He was watching her with a strange expression on his face as she leaped and twirled flirtatiously around him with the sash. The hunter had been careless, and his fox had got away.  
  
"Like what?" Ravensara asked her, still intently watching Vanilla and Marron.  
  
"We can't confront him, if that's what you're thinking." Amaretto added. "It would only embarrass him, and probably annoy Vanilla."  
  
Marron stood up, tugging on the sash. He was smiling now, and Vanilla was radiant, smiling coyly back and tugging on her end of the sash. He glanced around quickly to see what the other dancers were doing, and then copied them, starting to wind his wrist up in the sash. He tugged harder on the sash, smiling enticingly at his fox.  
  
"I wasn't thinking of doing it directly," Lemon said, sparing her husband one brief glance and a faint smile. "I was thinking of asking Butterscotch to move in with them for the duration of the pregnancy."  
  
"Butterscotch?" Ravensara asked with a raised eyebrow as the flute trilled again and Vanilla began to wind herself in the sash again, spinning gracefully toward captivity again. "She's not exactly the best person for the job, though. She's kind of crude, to put it nicely. I think she'll be better at embarrassing them both than she will be of any real help, Lemon. Are you certain that this is wise?"  
  
"We all know that Vanilla is going to be aware of her true feelings long before Marron will," Lemon replied. "I'm not entirely certain, but something Mother said earlier caught my attention. Elves marry `matching' partners, but there is no one who really `matches' Vanilla, physically or otherwise. There never has been another elf of the opposite sex with silver hair and purple eyes like hers, nor anyone who could understand why she chose to live among the humans, protecting them from the sorcerers."  
  
"But Marron does not match her either," Tarragon pointed out.  
  
"No, not exactly. But look at the way they interact," Lemon said, nodding at the dancers. Now Vanilla had tied herself up, and Marron held her tightly to his chest. This time, Marron dipped his head, claiming her lips. A slight shudder ran down Vanilla's spine, and he tightened his arms around her.  
  
"What are you saying?" Ravensara asked, turning to look at Lemon in astonishment. "Vanilla has found no men among our kind that match her, so this is why she is marrying a human?"  
  
"Never let it be said that the gods do not have a sense of humor," Amaretto said dryly.  
  
"I'm saying that Marron may match her in every way except physical," Lemon said.  
  
"So does she know this?" Tarragon asked, startled.  
  
"Probably not, but she will soon enough. And when she does, she will need someone around to help her through it. As we all know, Butterscotch is in the same position with that healer in Split Pea. She will understand what Vanilla will be going through better than any of us ever could." Lemon's expression grew sad. "Marron will not realize his feelings when Vanilla does, and she may not be able to tell him. He is human; he knows nothing of our customs, and he might not understand what is going on. This could hurt them both deeply."  
  
"True," Ravensara said softly, her jet-black eyes on Vanilla. "She is a very sensitive person. She may still feel like she has trapped Marron into this by conceiving his child, although it is the fault of that sorceress Lox rather than either of theirs. I don't know what Lox was thinking when she crafted that spell, but it wasn't good."  
  
"Is this the hardship that you saw in the stars?" Tarragon asked then.  
  
Ravensara shrugged. "Perhaps. For now, all we can do is wait and see."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"Now what?" Marron asked, still breathing heavily.  
  
"One last thing," Vanilla said with a sparkle in her eyes. Her friends and family had all drawn back from them, parting to leave a clear path leading into the forest as they gazed at Marron and Vanilla expectantly. She took his hand in hers and tugged him toward the clear path. "Come," she entreated, pulling him through the aisle.  
  
Marron smiled gently at her, his golden eyes warm. "Where are we going?"  
  
"To the heart stone," Vanilla replied, and grinned at him briefly as her family began to cheer and shower them with pink flower petals. "It's a tradition among my people, and it's where the marriage will really begin."  
  
"You mean it hasn't already?" Marron asked, surprised.  
  
Vanilla looked at him, and couldn't help grinning. His hair was coated with pink petals that kept sliding through his thick hair to fall to the ground, only to be replaced with more and more petals as her family threw them. "No," she replied, shaking the petals out of her own hair. "Everything up until now has been symbolism and celebration, so that our gods will look favorably upon this match. The heart stone is what will truly bind us."  
  
Marron nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting."  
  
Vanilla gave him another quick smile as they continued into the forest through the constant shower of pink petals. *I wonder if he knows just how beautiful he is when he looks thoughtful like that,* she thought wistfully. *I wish that we were getting married under better circumstances. I really think that I could fall in love with him . . .*  
  
Before Vanilla had time to blush at her thoughts, they entered the clearing with the heart stone in the center of it. The heart stone wasn't much to look at; it was simply pale orange sandstone in the shape of a lop-sided, roughly cut rectangle, and half-buried in the ground. Her family and friends had strewn it with the same pink flower petals that they had thrown on them earlier, and the petals seemed to glow with an inner fire on the heart stone.  
  
Sage stepped forward with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his green eyes, and Vanilla self-consciously let go of Marron's hand. Marron glanced at her, but she couldn't see his expression.  
  
"This is the moment that all of us have been waiting for," Sage said, his gentle voice carrying very well in the sudden silence. "Finally, our Ice Maiden is getting married."  
  
Vanilla stuck her tongue out at her father as a ripple of soft laughter spread through the crowd. Sage just grinned at her mischievously.  
  
"Ice Maiden?" Marron asked, his voice pitched low for her ears only.  
  
"They used to call me that because my sisters all married young, and I didn't," she whispered back, and shrugged at his raised eyebrow. "Split Pea needed a guardian. I took the post, and I never had time to seek a heart mate."  
  
He nodded, his expression carefully neutral. *Oh, no, Marron, it's not what you're thinking at all!* Vanilla thought in sudden anguish. Before she could say anything, though, Sage spoke again.  
  
"May our gods and yours, Marron, look well upon this binding of your souls," Sage continued, "and may you always know joy and love. Vanilla, you know what to do."  
  
Vanilla nodded and looked at Marron, taking his hand again. She led him over to the stone, releasing his hand as she walked around it to the other side. Motioning for him to kneel, she sank gracefully to her knees as well. With one last smile, Vanilla closed her eyes and placed her hands on the heart stone, palms flat against the rough, strangely warm surface.  
  
*The heart stone is supposed to predict whether or not couples make good matches,* she thought nervously. *What if it says that we don't match? Will he still stay? Will he be miserable for the rest of his life with me? I don't know if I could face that, much less raise a child in that kind of situation. What should I do? I can't just let him ruin his entire life for one stupid spell that just happened to -*  
  
Suddenly, the stone beneath her grew warmer, almost hot enough to burn. Then she felt a strange rushing sensation, as if a wind had started at her feet and blew up one side of her body and down the other. Startled, she opened her eyes, and realized that she was now sitting in Marron's lap on the other side of the stone, and his hands were around her waist.  
  
"Is that what's supposed to happen?" Marron asked softly, no less surprised than she was. There was a strange expression that Vanilla couldn't quite identify on his face, and his golden eyes were confused. Oddly, he did not seem in any hurry to move away from her at all.  
  
"Y-yes," Vanilla replied hesitantly, staring into his golden eyes and trying not to blush furiously. *Oh, gods . . . I love him already . . . is that what the heart stone is trying to tell me? That we're actually meant to be together?*  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Rice yelled from somewhere in the crowd. "Kiss her!"  
  
Vanilla lost the battle, and a rosy blush spread over her pale cheeks. *Doesn't Rice realize that he's just making this harder for me?*  
  
Marron was in the same predicament; he couldn't even meet her gaze. But suddenly, his hand slid through her silver hair, cupping her lower jaw to tilt her head back. Too startled to move, she sat very still as he leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips.  
  
*Oh, my . . .*  
  
He wasn't pulling away, either. Vanilla leaned into his kiss, pressing back lightly, and felt his slender hand tighten on her jaw. His other hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer. She no longer heard her family and friends cheering around them; all of her senses were attuned to the young mage whose lap she was sitting in.  
  
*He should be angry with me, but instead he's . . . he's kissing me like I could actually mean something to him . . .*  
  
After a very long moment, Marron finally pulled away, dropping his eyes with a faint, shy little smile. Vanilla thought that she caught something glittering in those golden eyes, but she wasn't certain what it could have been. And before she had any time to speculate as to what it might have been, Tangerine walked up to the couple, her eyes brimming with happy tears.  
  
*I'll think about this later . . .*  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Suddenly, Lox laughed aloud, starting Bagel awake. Annoyed, he turned over to glare at her, tangling himself further in the luxurious red silk sheets. Lox was similarly tangled, and flashes of her pale skin contrasted sharply with the richness of the scarlet silk wrapped around her body, but he refused to be distracted again.  
  
"What is it?" he demanded testily as she continued to laugh, her mirth beginning to shake their bed now. "What's so funny?"  
  
She held up a small crystal shard, wiping tears from her eyes, and managed to compose herself enough to answer him after a moment. "The haze that clouds Vanilla's image from me in my crystal parted," she purred, and nearly went into another giggle fit again. Bagel's impatient glare didn't seem to help at all, either. "Would you believe that that Eastern Magic user married her? And to top it all off, he blames himself for what happened. Isn't that the most amusing thing you've ever heard?"  
  
Bagel's scowl melted into a smirk. "Ah, my love, you certainly do have a flair for dramatics," he declared with a snicker of his own. "Tell me, what is the next step in your plan?"  
  
"Sadly, darling, this is the part you will like the least," Lox said regretfully, sitting up and drawing the red silk sheet up with her.  
  
"What do you mean, dearest?" Bagel leaned back against the headboard. "More waiting?"  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. But, I've been studying Vanilla's magic for some time now, and I believe that the best time to strike against her will be after she produces the brat. The birthing will weaken her powers, and their guard will be down after so long with no activity from us. It's the perfect plan, don't you think?"  
  
"Except for the waiting part, yes," Bagel sighed, "but if you think it's better this way, then that is how we shall proceed." He frowned. "Nine months is a long time to wait for my perfect revenge."  
  
"Three months, love," Lox corrected. "Elven pregnancies are shorter than a human's. Vanilla isn't human."  
  
Bagel stared at her. "How do you know that?" he demanded incredulously.  
  
She smirked. "I've been studying her people as well," she replied languidly, " and you know how very meticulous I am about things like that. You never know what will come in handy."  
  
Bagel grinned. "That won't be so bad then," he murmured. "My dear, you never cease to amaze me."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes #2: Comments? Questions? Like it? Hate it? Think I should conveniently "forget" that I have a computer and Internet access? Please let me know! And don't be shy. I know how many people read this, and it makes me happy, but I wonder what everyone who doesn't review thinks of it. Feel free to email me too at [1]cianyin@ivillage.com. I promise I don't bite. ^_^  
  
Arigatou!  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~  
  
References  
  
1. mailto:cianyin@ivillage.com 


	6. Part 5

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 5  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, just don't sue me. It isn't worth it.  
  
Warnings: Marron gets teased a bit more . . . poor guy!  
  
Author's Note: Just to make myself feel better, Marron is about 18 in this. Also, if you don't like pairings with original characters, then you might want to just skip this one now.  
  
Marron breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the elves walked out of the garden gate. He had never seen so many people in one place before, and had never realized how draining it could be.  
  
He turned around, looking at Vanilla. She sat silently on the marble bench, her head bowed so that her silver hair curtained her face. The moonlight shining down on her turned her hair to glowing white, and he caught his breath.  
  
"Why don't you hate me?" Vanilla asked in a soft voice that he barely heard.  
  
Startled out of his reverie, he stared at her. "What are you talking about?"  
  
She looked up at him, her purple eyes huge and dark in the moonlight. "Why don't you hate me for forcing you into this marriage?"  
  
"Vanilla - "  
  
"I should have stopped you," she whispered, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I should have found some other way to drain the spell . . ." She lowered her forehead to her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs tightly. She drew in a shuddering breath that she released in a sob.  
  
Marron stared at her in alarm as her shoulders began to shake. He took a hesitant step forward, but she didn't seem to notice.  
  
"Was there another way?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"I don't know," she said miserably, not raising her head. "But I should have at least tried to find one, and not just . . . just -" She broke off on another sob, and her shoulders shook even harder.  
  
"Vanilla, it's not your fault," he said, stepping closer. He put a hand on her shoulder hesitantly, afraid that it was the wrong thing to do. She didn't even seem to notice that he was standing there, though.  
  
"Yes it is," she said, finally looking up. He suppressed a gasp. Even with her face streaked with tears, Vanilla was still a stunningly beautiful woman. "I should have stopped you. Then you wouldn't be in this mess."  
  
Marron lowered his hand and his eyes. "Are you certain that I would have stopped?" he asked softly.  
  
Vanilla sighed. "Of course I am," she snapped, and he flinched visibly. "It was not rape. You offered me a choice, and I . . . I took it." She looked away from him, her arms tightening around her legs.  
  
*Why? Why didn't you stop me?* He wanted to ask her that, but he knew that this was not the time for that question. She looked so fragile right now, and he didn't want to pry too deeply.  
  
"I should've found another way," she whispered again. "I should not have allowed my family to make you marry me. I should have left before you woke up . . ."  
  
"And not told me?" Marron asked then, allowing a hint of anger to creep into his voice. Vanilla flinched, but said nothing. "What would you have done if you had found out that you were pregnant after I left here?"  
  
"Raised the child myself," she replied in a low voice.  
  
"And never tell me that I had a son or a daughter out here?" he asked, his tone still furious. "You should not have to bear this alone, Vanilla. I won't allow that. It wasn't your fault, it was mine, and I should take responsibility for - "  
  
Vanilla whirled on him, unfolding her body as she stood up in one swift movement. "What will it take for you to stop calling that night rape?" she hissed angrily, inches from his lips. "Should I give myself to you again?" She pressed against him lightly. "Would that convince you?"  
  
Marron blushed furiously, staring into her livid purple eyes. He could still taste the fruit juice on his lips from when she had kissed him and he had kissed her during the ceremony, and the feel of her curves pressed against his body, however lightly, reminded him what sort of effect she had on him.  
  
*We're married now,* he thought. *It would be okay, wouldn't it?*  
  
Suddenly, she pulled away, just as he was contemplating the merits of telling her that he would indeed believe that it wasn't rape if she gave herself to him again.  
  
"Rapists do not say please," Vanilla added, looking away from him.  
  
Marron just stared at her, speechless. *I said please, so you let me ruin your life?*  
  
"Why did you . . ." His voice trailed off as she turned away from him, hugging herself and stiffening slightly.  
  
"I'm cold," she said at last. "I'm going inside." She turned and walked abruptly toward the back door to her house. Marron followed her, and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Vanilla, I - " he started, but she burst into tears again.  
  
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I didn't think that my family would just - "  
  
She broke off as he put his arms around her, pulling her against him.  
  
"It's all right," he murmured softly, stroking her hair. "Don't cry. It's all right."  
  
Vanilla buried her face in his shoulder, still sobbing as if her heart were broken.  
  
Marron closed his eyes, holding her tightly.   
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla woke in the dark, looking around sleepily. There was no moon and no light in the room, but she could make out a shadowy figure beside her in her bed, and she heard his deep, even breaths clearly.  
  
*Marron,* she thought, smiling wearily. *He's still here, even after all that . . .*   
  
His arms were still around her too, and she snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest. He sighed in his sleep, tightening his embrace.  
  
*I wonder how long this is going to last . . .*  
  
She fell asleep a few moments later.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla was gone when Marron woke the next morning.  
  
*I hope she doesn't think that I was being too forward last night by staying here with her,* he thought anxiously. *She was so upset, though . . . I couldn't just leave her like that.*  
  
Marron got up and dressed quickly, then went in search of his wife of one night.  
  
*It still seems odd to think of Vanilla as my wife, though. I can't do it without blushing. I wonder how I should act around her now? I don't know what behaviors are acceptable according to her customs, but . . . how can I ask her that?*  
  
He found Vanilla in the kitchen, stirring something that smelled wonderful in a saucepan. She turned around when the door opened, and smiled at him warmly.  
  
"Good morning," she greeted him.  
  
"Good morning," he replied hesitantly. *This is awkward. What do I say?*  
  
Vanilla's expression turned grave. "About last night," she began, and he braced himself for a reprimand. "I-I'm sorry that I acted so . . . unlike myself." She sighed unhappily, and then smiled slightly at him again. "It won't happen again."  
  
"It's all right," Marron replied hastily, surprised and a little relieved that she wasn't angry with him for staying in her room with her. "I understand."  
  
Vanilla's smile widened. She nodded, and turned back to the pot on the stove. "This will be ready in a few minutes," she said then.  
  
*Wait . . . did she mean the outburst or all those times she . . . kissed me?*   
  
Marron's heart pounded at the memory of her soft lips pressing against his, the warmth of her body, and her slender arms twining around his neck.   
  
*Does it mean that she won't ever kiss me again? What if I want her to . . .*  
  
He flushed crimson at the thought, somehow managing to suppress it when she turned around again to offer him a bowl of whatever it was that she was cooking.  
  
"Thank you," he said, and she smiled as she slipped around him to go to the table over by the window. He watched her, noting that she had set two places across from each other on the table. Hesitantly, he joined her, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she poured milk and a little honey in her tea.  
  
Vanilla was stirring her tea, her eyes lowered, when a strange chime reverberated through the kitchen. Marron jumped, slipping an ofuda out of his sleeve. She looked at him and smiled reassuringly.  
  
"Don't worry," Vanilla said. "It's just someone at the door." She left her spoon in her tea and stood up.  
  
Marron flushed, embarrassed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess I'm a little jumpy."  
  
She shrugged. "That's all right. It scares most people when they first hear it." The chime sounded again, and Vanilla walked to the kitchen door. "I'll be right back," she threw over her shoulder.  
  
Marron nodded, slipping the ofuda back inside his sleeve. He turned back to his breakfast.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
*Someone's impatient,* she thought with a faint twinge of irritation as the chime rang a third time, and quickened her steps. *I hope it's not an emergency. I would like to spend a little time with Marron today, to explain some things . . . and get some idea of what he expects of me.*  
  
She flushed slightly at her thoughts, and put them aside as she opened the door.  
  
The elven midwife Butterscotch Krimpet stood there, a slight smirk on her lips. Her long light brown hair was pulled back and up in a bun, and her pale yellow eyes were smoldering with repressed excitement. Her gaze swept over Vanilla, pausing at her still-flat stomach.  
  
"I see you're coming along nicely," she remarked with another smirk. "I brought you your mail from the town. There's a letter for your new husband with the Stellar Church's seal on it."  
  
"Hello, Butterscotch," Vanilla said with an inward sigh. "I take it the pigeon came back?"   
  
*I can't believe I forgot to warn Marron about her in all the excitement yesterday. I didn't expect her to come so soon, though. I thought we'd have a week or so to adjust before she came.*  
  
"Yes. Ramen gave the letter to me when I passed through town, along with the books you asked him to lend you."  
  
"Oh, good." Vanilla's eyes lit up as she took the books and the envelope. "Isn't the town a little out of your way for coming here?"  
  
Butterscotch grinned. "Ramen's cute," she explained.  
  
Vanilla rolled her eyes. "If you say so. Well, come in."  
  
"Why, thank you, child," the midwife said graciously as she stepped over the threshold. Her pale yellow eyes glinted mischievously. "I've been dying to meet your new husband. Sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding. The Apples' child came early, and I had to assist poor Candy with the birth. I heard that he's a good dancer, though."  
  
"He is," Vanilla replied laconically, gesturing for Butterscotch to follow her to the kitchen. "He's eating breakfast right now."  
  
"Ah, is that your grandmother, Sweet Cream's recipe I smell?" Butterscotch said enthusiastically. "I hope you have extra."  
  
"Always," Vanilla said with a smile. Her cooking had become legendary among her people, and they were always dropping by to impose on her for it. She didn't mind, though. It wasn't much fun just cooking for herself.  
  
"Well, then, I'd better go check on your hunter, little fox," Butterscotch said, and slipped into the kitchen with a mischievous grin back at Vanilla.  
  
Vanilla flushed, embarrassed at the reference to the dance at their wedding. "He isn't mine," she muttered under her breath, and then something occurred to her that made her pale.  
  
*Uh-oh . . . I hope she doesn't say anything about that to Marron!*  
  
Vanilla hurriedly stepped forward, entering the kitchen to find Butterscotch chatting merrily away to a blushing Marron as she spooned some of the sweet porridge in the pan on the stove into a bowl.  
  
" . . . so I'll be staying with you throughout Vanilla's entire pregnancy," Butterscotch was saying. "It'll only be three months since my people's pregnancies are much shorter than a human's, so I'll be out of your way in no time at all."  
  
*Staying?! For three months?* Vanilla was outraged for a moment, but then she realized that either Lemon or her mother had probably seen how shy and awkward Marron felt around her, and had sent Butterscotch to try to help him adjust. However, at this moment she was simply succeeding at thoroughly embarrassing him.  
  
"Did you enjoy your first night of wedded bliss, Marron-chan?" Butterscotch was asking.  
  
Shocked, Marron looked at Vanilla as if seeking a lifeline. Vanilla sighed inwardly.  
  
*This will be the longest three months of my entire life.*  
  
"Butterscotch, please don't tease my husband," she said with a long-suffering sigh. "I'm fair game, as always, but please leave him alone."  
  
Butterscotch made a face. "You are no fun, Vanilla-chan." With a snort, she rummaged in a drawer for a spoon, and Marron relaxed with a grateful smile.  
  
Vanilla rolled her eyes at the midwife's back, and walked over to the table where Marron sat, laying the books down. "This came for you," she said quietly to her husband, handing him the envelope.  
  
He took it, staring at the seal. "This is from the Stellar Church," he said, surprised.  
  
Vanilla nodded. "I know. I recognized the seal."  
  
"You sent the letter three days ago, though. I wasn't expecting a reply yet," he said, almost seeming disappointed.  
  
Vanilla shrugged. "I'm surprised it didn't come sooner. The Stellar Church is not far from here, for a pigeon, and there haven't been any storms to delay it."  
  
"Well," Butterscotch chirped, "I'll just go settle myself in the guest bedroom while you're reading that letter since it's really none of my business." She zipped out of the room before either of them could reply.  
  
"She'll probably put your things in my room," Vanilla said in response to the uncomfortable look on Marron's face.  
  
"Is-is that all right?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"Of course," she replied, a little too quickly. She winced inwardly.  
  
"I can sleep on the floor," he added.  
  
"You don't have to," Vanilla said softly, and looked away when he flushed deeply. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at him. "Aren't you going to look at your letter?"  
  
Marron looked down at the envelope, the flush fading from his cheeks. "I suppose so," he said quietly, and broke the seal. His golden eyes skimmed over the contents of the letter, frowning slightly in concentration. Vanilla took this opportunity to watch him, feeling a pang of guilt as the gold band on his left hand winked at her when he absently pushed a stray lock of his long black hair behind his ear.  
  
Her hand stole to her stomach, pressing lightly over her womb. *I can feel it now. His child, and mine, is growing inside of me. It's a strange feeling, wonderful and frightening all at once. I should have considered the day in my moon cycle before I - *  
  
She blushed furiously, remembering how it had felt to have Marron's hands on her.  
  
"So that's why she didn't reply right away," Marron said, a faint tinge of anger and fear underlying his cool tone.  
  
"Who?" Vanilla asked, startled out of her thoughts.  
  
"Big Mama," he answered, looking at her, his golden eyes furious. "She says that my brother told her to tell me that I should not follow them under any circumstances when I have recovered, and that they will come for me when the mission has been completed."  
  
Vanilla started in surprise. "What? Why?"  
  
"Carrot told her that Bagel and Lox set more traps specifically for an Eastern Magic user," he replied. "He said that if I had gone with them, I would be dead now." His hand clenched, crumpling the letter. "Niisan is in danger, and I can't do anything about it."  
  
"How do Bagel and Lox know that you are an Eastern Magic user?" Vanilla asked, feeling cold all of a sudden.   
  
*This could be very bad . . . if they know that Marron uses the Eastern Magic, then what else do they know about the Sorcerer Hunters?*  
  
Marron shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "Just after I opened the sealed door in their castle, we all heard Bagel's voice taunting us. He said that it would be harder than we had originally thought to find them, and that they had disabled me."  
  
Vanilla's eyes widened. "Did he call any of you by name?" she demanded, folding her arms over her belly and the child within.  
  
"No. Why?" Marron asked, surprised.  
  
She relaxed a little. "Good. They don't know everything about you, just that one of you uses the Eastern Magic." Then she frowned at him. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
  
Marron shrugged, a little taken aback at her vehemence. "It didn't seem that important," he said lamely. "And I usually have to keep my missions a secret anyway, for my own protection. Then we . . ." He blushed. "And with the wedding and everything, I just forgot."  
  
"This could be very bad," Vanilla said, frowning. "Bagel is a very arrogant man; if he knew any of your names, he would have addressed you personally. It's good that he didn't because it shows that he doesn't know that much, but he knows that you use Eastern Magic. That's how Lox was able to craft that spell the way she did, so that it would only affect you."  
  
"How do you know so much about Bagel and Lox?" Marron asked, eyes narrowed.  
  
"I told you: I've been watching them for a long time. Bagel likes to lord his knowledge over others, and that's how I know he doesn't know your names. However, it seems that they were only expecting an Eastern Magic user to be of any threat to them. I assume that your teammates and your brother have abilities that will allow them to defeat Bagel and Lox?"  
  
He nodded slowly. "The others are good fighters, and my brother . . ." He broke off hesitantly, and then started again. "My brother uses Zoanthropy," he said, watching her closely.  
  
Vanilla smiled viciously. "Won't those two get a nasty surprise when your brother catches up to them," she said, amused. "I almost wish that I could see the look on Bagel's face when that happens."  
  
Marron relaxed, as if reassured by her answer. "You don't like him much, do you?"  
  
Vanilla shook her head. "He had the nerve to ask me to stay out of his way when he came to Split Pea. I let him know that he would answer to me if he harmed anyone or anything while he was in my territory."  
  
He smiled at her words. Then his gaze turned thoughtful. "Do you have some paper that I can borrow? I want to write a letter to Big Mama."  
  
"That won't be necessary, Marron," said a timid, high-pitched female voice.  
  
Vanilla turned, starting in surprise at the sight of a winged girl with purple hair and long pointed ears in a short blue dress hovering a few feet off the ground.   
  
*How did she get in here without my knowledge of her presence? I don't sense anything evil about her, but still . . . is she from the Stellar Church?*  
  
Marron stood, placing a hand on Vanilla's shoulder. "It's all right. This is Dota, Big Mama's attendant. Dota, this is Vanilla Glace, my wife." He ignored Dota's shocked gape, and walked around Vanilla, placing himself in front of her almost protectively. "I presume that Big Mama has a message for me?"  
  
Dota nodded dumbly, still startled. "Um . . ." she managed after a moment.  
  
"I'll explain later," Marron said. He looked back at Vanilla, smiling charmingly. She raised her eyebrow, but otherwise did not comment. "Would you excuse us for a moment, please?"  
  
Vanilla nodded. "Of course." She smiled at the still-shocked Dota. "It was a pleasure to meet you," she said, and walked out of the kitchen, shaking her head.  
  
*That was interesting. I think I'll go check my wards to see if they're still functional, though . . . better safe than sorry, as my father always says.*  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Marron walked out of the kitchen, his cheeks still flaming and an ache starting to form behind his eyes. He stiffened abruptly as Dota's high-pitched voice made one last comment before she and Big Mama disappeared.  
  
"I didn't even know that Marron liked girls!"  
  
What made matters worse was that Vanilla was waiting for him in the sitting room, and Dota's voice carried nicely in the short, narrow hallway in that direction. He winced, feeling the ache behind his eyes flare in response.  
  
*Why didn't I do more to squelch that rumor when I could have?*  
  
Fortunately, Vanilla gave no indication that she had heard. She simply looked up from the book that she was reading and smiled at him warmly. He smiled back automatically, feeling a warmth spreading from his heart at the sight of her. Even the ache behind his eyes faded a little. Her smile briefly erased the memory of the teasing he'd had to endure from Big Mama when he'd first told her that he was married now.  
  
"How did it go?" she asked.  
  
Marron sighed noiselessly. The ache was back with a vengeance. "I asked her to send some things of mine with my brother when his mission is completed. She told me to tell you that she's sorry about breaking through your wards, and about the inconvenience of her visit."  
  
Vanilla leaned forward, gesturing to the chair next to hers. He took it, sinking back into the pale orange cushions.  
  
"What did she say about you and me?" she asked intently.  
  
Marron leaned his head back against the pillows. He'd been anticipating this question. "She said congratulations," he said cautiously.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And she laughed. A lot," he added, flushing again.  
  
Vanilla's eyebrow rose. "Well, at least someone finds humor in this situation."  
  
Marron sighed in disgust. "It's enough to make my head hurt," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Where?" Vanilla asked.  
  
"Here," he replied, squeezing his eyes shut and drawing a line across his forehead with one finger.  
  
He heard Vanilla shifting on the soft cushion of her chair, and felt her take his hand, moving it away from his forehead. She did not release it, but rather held it gently in hers. He opened his eyes to look at her as she trailed her index finger over the same path on his forehead that his had taken. The headache immediately eased and went away with her gentle touch.  
  
"How did you do that?" he asked, amazed.  
  
Vanilla smiled. "Like this," she said, drawing her index finger across his forehead again. This time, her finger trailed down his cheek very softly, and he suppressed a shiver.  
  
*It would be so easy to pull her close,* he thought, gazing into her mysterious purple eyes. His hand tightened on hers slightly. *So easy to kiss her breathless.*  
  
The door to the garden banged open abruptly, and Butterscotch entered, effectively ruining the moment. Marron and Vanilla both started and broke apart from each other, blushing.  
  
"Well, I put up some extra wards to make sure that the baby will be safe," she said cheerfully, and then noticed that they were both blushing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Her smile was positively devious.  
  
"Of course not," Vanilla sighed.  
  
"Now, now, Vanilla-chan, it's too early to let your hunter catch you just yet," the other woman admonished with a twinkle in her eyes.  
  
Astonishingly, Vanilla blushed. Marron raised an eyebrow in confusion, trying to catch Vanilla's gaze, but the elf quickly lowered her eyes to her hands in her lap.  
  
Chuckling, Butterscotch walked out of the room.  
  
"What did she mean by that?" Marron asked curiously.  
  
Vanilla coughed and hastily stood up, still blushing. "Never mind," she murmured, and followed the mid-wife out of the room.  
  
Mystified, Marron stared after her.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Note #2: I wonder how many people have been scared away from this story by now? Not too many people seem to like pairings with original characters, and it's very hard to get something like that done right. Well, for those of you that are left, these are my reviewers this time:  
  
Fala: Thank you for reading and reviewing my story. I really appreciate your honesty. ^_^ I can definitely see your point about the flawless character being overdone; it's an easy stereotype to fall into, and I admit to it. I'm actually surprised that I haven't gotten more flak from Gateau/Marron people than I have since that's an extremely popular pairing. Personally, since I saw the Gateau in the anime first, for a long time I couldn't stand him. I liked him a lot better in the manga than in the anime series since he was more of a part of the series, but even after that I didn't have a very high opinion of him. Although I have read some very sweet fanfics with that pairing as well, and that went a long way to improving my opinion of him. I think I managed to treat his character fairly when I was writing his parts; you'll have to let me know. Also, in regard to Vanilla teasing Marron, it wasn't quite meant in the way that you took it. I didn't realize that some people might  
take her teasing to mean that she's throwing herself at him. She's really not. To make a long sentence short, Vanilla teases him because she likes him. Do you think I should make that more clear? And I'd also like to point out that just because they've slept together now doesn't make everything all right. This isn't over by a long shot. It happened because of a spell cast on Marron by Lox, and he isn't going to remember anything. I hope you stick with it. If you would like to discuss anything else relating to this story with me, please feel free to email me at [1]cianyin@ivillage.com. I'm always open to comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism, and I sincerely hope I haven't scared you off because of my long response to your long review. ^_^  
  
DratiniRocket: Um, does ii da mean you like it? I only know a few words of Japanese here and there. If so, thanks! I hope you keep reading in spite of the pairing. ^_^  
  
Aelis: Thanks! Carrot and Gateau and everyone will be finding out what's going on in the next chapter, so stay tuned! ^_^  
  
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~  
  
PS: For those of you who are fans of Rurouni Kenshin, I have another fanfic up for that anime. It's called Mending, it's an attempt at humor, and it's a one-shot. I'm also proud to say that it's the shortest story I have ever been able to make myself finish. ^_^  
  
References  
  
1. mailto:cianyin@ivillage.com 


	7. Part 6

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 6  
  
Disclaimer: The Sorcerer Hunters are still not mine. Everything else is, though.  
  
Warnings: Those of you who dislike/hate fanfics that pair original characters with official anime characters should leave now. Other than that, no major warnings for this chapter, other than a teensy bit more teasing of Marron. ^_^  
  
~ Three months later ~  
  
"Damn it!" Vanilla swore, and something made a large crashing noise.  
  
Marron paused outside the kitchen, startled. The past three months had been rather stressful for them both. As Vanilla's time grew nearer, she had been getting less and less like the cool, mysterious elven healer Marron had first been dazzled by, and more like a heavily pregnant female.  
  
Unfortunately for him, Butterscotch was nowhere to be found this morning when he went down to the kitchen where Vanilla was cooking breakfast as usual. He heard another loud crashing noise and another curse from Vanilla.  
  
*Butterscotch would pick now to go on a walk,* he thought irritably. He winced as yet another loud crashing noise came from the kitchen. *No use in delaying the inevitable, I suppose.*  
  
He pushed the door open hesitantly, and his golden eyes widened at the sight.  
  
The normally neat and tidy kitchen was now cluttered with large piles of pots, pans, boxes, and bags everywhere. There were several piles of pots and pans that had collapsed, attesting to the loud crashing noises he'd heard. Vanilla was slicing something on a wooden board, and as he entered the kitchen, she gasped in pain.  
  
"Ouch!" she cried, and another pile of pots fell over.  
  
"Are you all right?" Marron asked, stepping forward around the piles.  
  
Vanilla turned around and pulled her long, delicate finger out of her mouth before she said brusquely, "I'm fine."  
  
Her silver hair clung to her pale skin damply, giving it an almost metallic sheen. Dark circles marred the skin under her tired purple eyes, and several smudges covered her off-white tunic.  
  
*This could be messy . . .*  
  
Marron sweat-dropped as she poked her finger back in her mouth. He glanced around the room, hoping for anything that would help him calm Vanilla down, but found no inspiration among the piles of clutter.  
  
"Um . . . what happened?" he ventured at last.  
  
"I couldn't find the pan I wanted," she replied a trifle testily.  
  
"And your finger?"  
  
"Cut it," she replied flatly.  
  
"Vanilla, what's wrong?"  
  
Suddenly, to his dismay, her purple eyes filled with tears. "I-I burned it!" she cried, dissolving into sobs.  
  
Marron cringed inwardly and wove around the piles to her, pulling her into his arms and hoping that it was the right thing to do. She leaned against him, burying her face in his shoulder. He marveled that she was actually a head shorter than he was; most of the time she seemed about ten feet tall at least, and it was only when he stood next to her that he was reminded that he was taller than her.  
  
"It doesn't smell burned," Marron said when she'd quieted.  
  
Vanilla sniffled. "It is," she stubbornly insisted. "I wasn't paying attention, and it burned." She sniffled again. "I've only made my grandmother's recipe for sweet porridge several thousand times, and now I've ruined it!" Her eyes filled with tears again.  
  
"It can't be that bad," Marron said reassuringly. He took a spoon out of a nearby drawer and took a small spoonful of the porridge. Vanilla watched him, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. "It tastes wonderful this way," he said, confused. "I don't understand why you think you ruined it."  
  
"It's burned," she insisted, her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Really, it's fine," he said, taking another spoonful from the pot. "I like it."  
  
Vanilla stared at him for a moment, blushing. Then the blush faded. "You're too nice," she complained. "You'd say you like anything I cook, even if it's charcoal."  
  
Marron smiled at her gently, ignoring her outburst. "Will you always burn this when you cook it for me?" he asked.  
  
Vanilla stared at him again, her cheeks again suffused with a flattering rosy tinge. Suddenly, she threw up her hands in disgust. "You're hopeless!" she declared, but she was still blushing.  
  
"Oh, dear," Butterscotch said from the doorway. Marron and Vanilla turned to see her looking around the kitchen in dismay. "What happened here?"  
  
"I couldn't find the pan I wanted," Vanilla said, somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"All right, you two, go sit down," Butterscotch ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "I'll get this place cleaned up for you."  
  
Vanilla allowed Marron to help her out of the kitchen and into the sitting room. "I can't believe that I was kicked out of my own kitchen," she grumbled as he helped her sit down.  
  
The door chime resounded through the room, and Vanilla sighed irritably.  
  
"I'll get it," Marron said quickly, turning. He caught Vanilla's faint smile out of the corner of his eye as he left the room.  
  
*If it's Ramen, he's dead,* Marron thought, annoyed. *Vanilla needs to be resting, not running all over Split Pea, even if it is an emergency. Butterscotch had better not complain if I have to send her instead.*  
  
He yanked the door open, fully expecting to see the blond-haired, green-eyed healer standing on the porch. As a result, he was completely surprised to find Carrot grinning at him broadly. And behind him were the rest of his teammates, all smiling at him.  
  
Marron blinked once, certain that he was seeing things. They didn't disappear when he opened his eyes again, though.  
  
"Niisan!" he exclaimed, staring in shock at his brother. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"That wasn't a very warm welcome," Carrot noted.  
  
"Big Mama took us off the case we were working on," Tira spoke up.  
  
"There haven't been any sightings of Bagel or Lox for over a month, so she finally just told us to come here," Chocolate added.  
  
"We brought everything that you wanted," Gateau said eagerly.  
  
"And what's with this rumor that you're married now?" Carrot demanded.  
  
"It's not a rumor," Butterscotch said from behind Marron. She shoved the mage aside so that she could glare at Carrot. "Marron-chan married Vanilla-chan just three months ago."  
  
"You mean he married the healer Ramen told us about?" Tira asked, her eyes wide beneath her glasses.  
  
"Oh, how romantic!" Chocolate exclaimed, hearts in her eyes. "Marron married the woman who saved his life!"  
  
"There has to be some mistake," Gateau insisted firmly.  
  
"How did this happen?!" Carrot shouted. "Why wasn't I told sooner, and why did it have to be Big Mama telling me instead of you?!"  
  
Marron flinched and looked away, embarrassed.   
  
*Great. Now Niisan is mad at me. How do I tell him that it's my fault that this happened? He'll probably be very disappointed in me.*  
  
Carrot abruptly turned around, folding his arms up behind his head.  
  
"Never mind all that, though," he said, and half-turned to look at Marron with a hentai grin on his face. "Damn, Marron! I didn't know you could work so fast. So, is Vanilla a babe?"  
  
Marron stared at him. Tira and Chocolate both fell over. Gateau put a hand to his forehead in disgust. Butterscotch just grinned.  
  
"Baka!" Chocolate muttered forcefully under her breath as she and Tira stood up again.  
  
"Vanilla is a very beautiful young lady," Butterscotch said, her pale yellow eyes sparkling with amusement. "I think you'll approve of your brother's wife. The child, of course, since your brother is so handsome and Vanilla is so beautiful will probably be a combination of the best traits of the two."  
  
*Oh, no . . . Why can't you keep your mouth shut, Butterscotch?*  
  
Marron flushed as his brother caught the reference and dropped his jaw.  
  
"Ch-child?!" Gateau stammered, staring at Marron in utter and complete shock.  
  
"I'm going to be an uncle?" Carrot asked after a long moment of awkward silence.  
  
"Yup," Butterscotch said cheerfully. "Any time now."  
  
"How did this happen?" Tira asked, staring at Marron. "And what do you mean by `any time now?'"  
  
"Vanilla is what you would call an elf, like me," Butterscotch explained. "Our pregnancies are much shorter than a human's. The child was conceived just a few days before the wedding, and their three month anniversary is in a week or so."  
  
"Marron," Carrot said, his tone shocked, "you didn't!"  
  
Butterscotch grinned. "He did!" she replied gleefully, to Marron's dismay.  
  
Carrot laughed, slapping his thigh. "This is so great! Vanilla must really be something for you to have snapped her up like that," he said, slapping Marron's back. "I want details, bro!"  
  
"Butterscotch, don't even start," Vanilla said irritably from behind them. Marron relaxed with a sigh of relief, turning to look at her. Carrot elbowed him in his side, grinning at Marron when he looked at him. "Why are you talking about this in the doorway? There are plenty of chairs in here, and it's winter, for crying out loud."  
  
*Bless you for this, Vanilla!*  
  
"Vanilla is right," Marron said. "Please, come in."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"So that's what happened," Carrot said, his voice muffled by the distance and the kitchen door.  
  
"How are they taking the news?" Butterscotch asked in a faint whisper.  
  
"Pretty well," Vanilla whispered back from the door where she was eavesdropping on them. "Gateau is the only one who got up and left the room so far."  
  
"I wonder if that's a good sign or not," the midwife mused.  
  
Vanilla shrugged. "I have no idea. I think he likes Marron, though, and that's why he's so upset about all this."  
  
"Too bad. He's yours now," Butterscotch said without hesitation.  
  
"That's not the problem. If he's really jealous, we don't know what he might do."  
  
"If he starts anything, Marron will never forgive him," Butterscotch argued. "You are carrying his child. Plus, if a Sorcerer Hunter from the Stellar Church harms one hair on your head, our people will rise up and demand his blood as revenge. He probably knows that on some level."  
  
"You may be right, but I still can't help . . ." Vanilla trailed off, her eyes widening. She put a hand to her stomach.  
  
"You still can't help what?" Butterscotch asked absently, and looked at Vanilla. "Oh, my . . . is it time?"  
  
"I think so," Vanilla said. "Oh . . . Butterscotch, why didn't you tell me that this hurts so much?"  
  
"I didn't want to scare you, Vanilla-chan," the midwife said with a smile, and Vanilla sweat-dropped. "Can you make it upstairs without help?"  
  
"Ooh . . ." Vanilla said, doubling over, her arms crossed over her belly.  
  
"Never mind," Butterscotch said. "I'd better help you."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"What was the wedding like?" Chocolate asked eagerly, hearts in her eyes.  
  
Carrot gave her a disgusted look, but said nothing.  
  
"It was . . . an experience," Marron said, smiling faintly at the memory. He glanced out the window at Gateau's back as the big man stood in Vanilla's garden, staring at it with his arms crossed over his chest. A pang of guilt stabbed him.  
  
*I really didn't want him to find out this way. I didn't want to hurt him, but he just wouldn't take no for an answer, and never even saw that I couldn't be what he wanted me to be.*  
  
"Don't worry about Gateau," Tira said, and Marron looked at her. "He's just in shock. He'll get over it eventually."  
  
Carrot snorted. "Maybe now, he'll leave you alone," he muttered darkly.  
  
"Niisan," Marron said reproachfully.  
  
Carrot shrugged, and smiled slyly at his brother. "So how is married life treating you? Have you adjusted to getting it regularly?"  
  
Marron stared at his brother in dismay.  
  
Tira pulled the huge mallet out from Hammerspace(TM) and smashed Carrot over the head. "Leave him alone!" she ordered.  
  
"Yes, mistress," Carrot said irritably, rubbing his head.  
  
Just then, Butterscotch entered the room.  
  
"Marron, it's time," she said, all seriousness now.  
  
"Time?" he asked, confused for a moment. Then he gasped, remembering. "The baby? Now?"  
  
"Yes, now. Come on; you're the father, so you should be there," she said, impatiently tapping her foot.  
  
"Oh, of course," he replied absently, already worried about Vanilla.   
  
*Some women die in childbirth . . . if I lost Vanilla because of Lox's spell and that night, I will never forgive myself. I can't lose her now . . . I just can't.*  
  
Marron didn't hear what Tira, Chocolate and Carrot said to him as he followed Butterscotch up the stairs to Vanilla's bedroom. Vanilla was seated on her bed when they walked in, leaning against a lot of pillows. Her face was flushed slightly, her silver hair already a bit damp with sweat, and she frowned in concentration, her purple eyes squeezed shut.  
  
"Are you all right, Vanilla?" Marron asked her worriedly.  
  
Vanilla opened her eyes, grinning up at him. "Of course I am," she panted. "I'm having a baby, not dying, silly." She doubled over again, gasping, and Marron stepped forward anxiously, reaching out to her.  
  
Butterscotch sighed in disgust, and put her hand on his shoulder, startling him.  
  
"Go sit behind her, Marron," she said calmly. "Hold her up, and rub her back for her, okay?"  
  
"All right," he replied hesitantly as Vanilla scooted forward a little to give him room. He climbed up behind her self-consciously; afraid that he would hurt her if he touched her. She didn't seem to think that he would make it worse if he touched her, though, for she leaned against him with a sigh. Marron lifted his arms up in surprise, wondering what he should do with them, and if Vanilla would be annoyed or not if he put them around her shoulders.  
  
"I'm scared too, you know," she whispered, tilting her head back to smile up at him faintly. "I trust Butterscotch, though, so I know it'll be all right."  
  
Decision made, Marron smiled and slipped one arm around her shoulder, and placed his other hand on her lower back. "Of course it will," he replied softly in her ear.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
*Man, I can't believe my little brother lost his virginity before me,* Carrot thought glumly, kicking his foot back and forth over the arm of the chair he was sitting in. *And now he's married to a really hot babe and already starting a family - again, before me! Not that I really want a family right now, but still, I didn't think he was ready for it yet either. It was kinda forced on him by that stupid spell, though, so I can't blame him. I admire him for not running. That takes guts, even if Vanilla's hot.*  
  
"How much longer is this gonna take?" Carrot demanded to know, shifting his position so that he was dangling both legs over the arm of the chair. "It's been several hours already. How much time could it possibly take to squeeze out a kid?"  
  
"Obviously more time than you have patience for, Darling," Chocolate said wryly.  
  
"I've heard that it can take up to a day or more to give birth, depending on the child and the mother," Tira added, glancing up from her book.  
  
Carrot made a vexed noise in the back of his throat. "At this rate, we'll get another assignment before the kid's born!" he complained.  
  
At this point, Butterscotch entered the room with a radiant smile on her face. "It's a girl!" she crowed triumphantly. "Come see, everyone!"  
  
Carrot jumped up. "Finally!" he muttered, but he was the first one to follow Butterscotch up the stairs, with Tira and Chocolate close at his heels. He couldn't help noticing the midwife's curvaceous figure as she bounded up the stairs in front of him, and as a result he couldn't help but comment.  
  
"Hey, Butterscotch, if you're not doing anything later, maybe we could - ouch! Chocolate! What was that for?!"  
  
Chocolate sniffed indignantly. "As if you don't know, Darling," she said irritably, a glint of steel in her blue eyes. He pulled back in horror, whimpering.  
  
Butterscotch just laughed. "Sorry, Carrot, but you're not my type; I prefer blondes. Now come on," she urged, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking him toward Marron and Vanilla's room.  
  
*Marron's so lucky,* he thought wistfully, refusing to think about the two girls behind him.  
  
Marron and Vanilla both sat on the bed, looking down at the child in Vanilla's arms. They were positively radiant, projecting their happiness in a glow that surrounded all three of them. Carrot felt a little cold then, seeing his brother sitting there with his wife and child.  
  
Chocolate and Tira didn't seem to notice Carrot's reaction. They crowded around the bed, cooing and fussing over the child and Vanilla.  
  
"You two make such a cute couple!" Chocolate exclaimed. "And the baby's so adorable! What's her name? Have you decided that yet?"  
  
"Mint Glace," Marron said softly, his eyes warm as he gazed down at his tiny new daughter.  
  
*I'm being replaced,* Carrot thought sadly.  
  
Marron looked up then, and extended the warmth of his happy, tired smile to Carrot. Vanilla looked up too, seeing the glance that passed between the two brothers, and smiled gently at Carrot too.  
  
"Do you want to hold your new niece, Niisan?" Marron asked gently.  
  
Carrot grinned. "Okay," he said, and crossed the room.  
  
"No hitting on her, though," Marron joked, smiling.  
  
"Of course not. She's family," Carrot said, smiling back as he took the newborn in his arms. Mint blinked at him sleepily, and yawned hugely. Her hair was as black as Marron's, and her half-closed eyes were deep purple, just like Vanilla's. Her ears were slightly pointed, more so than a human's ears, but less so than Vanilla's or Butterscotch's.   
  
*She's so tiny . . . a little ugly now since she was just born, but if her mother's any indication, she'll be a real looker once she's grown.*  
  
Carrot's face softened as he looked down at Mint.  
  
"Hey there, cutie," he said softly, stroking her tiny cheek with one finger. "I'm your uncle." Mint giggled happily and grasped his finger, trying to put it in her mouth. "When you get a little older," he added, surrendering his finger to her, "I'll tell you about all of the evils of men, and just how perverted they all really are so you know how to spot them and stay away from them."  
  
Gateau had just entered the room, and he heard Carrot's last comment. "You're certainly the best man for that job, Carrot," he remarked.  
  
Carrot's eye twitched. "And your Uncle Gateau is just mean. You should kick and bite him a lot," he told Mint with a cheerful smile. "He won't hit you back - you're a girl."  
  
Marron and Vanilla exchanged a worried glance, and Tira frowned. Chocolate arched her eyebrow, but otherwise did not comment.  
  
Surprisingly, Gateau just laughed, and stepped closer to Carrot, leaning over to look at the child he held. Mint looked up at this strange new playmate, and grinned widely. Gateau's face softened, and he smiled back.  
  
"She's beautiful," the big man said. "Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you," Marron said, his tone and expression giving nothing away as to what he might have been thinking.  
  
"You wanna hold her?" Carrot asked with a grin.  
  
"No, thank you," Gateau said, backing away with both hands raised in a warding gesture. "Babies and me just don't mix. I'm always afraid I'll break them."  
  
"I'll take her!" Tira and Chocolate said eagerly in unison. They looked at each other and laughed. "You go ahead, sis," Tira said, and Chocolate lifted Mint from Carrot's arms.  
  
Vanilla stretched and yawned hugely. She turned to Marron and smiled at him.  
  
"Thank you," she said simply, and leaned forward to press her lips to his. He stiffened, startled and probably embarrassed that she was acting so forward around his brother and all of his friends, but suddenly relaxed, closing his eyes. His eyes remained closed until a few seconds after Vanilla pulled back.  
  
Carrot watched Marron closely, noting the way that he was looking at Vanilla, and that he seemed to be having a little trouble breathing. Carrot smiled inwardly, satisfied that his brother was truly happy in this arrangement in spite of the circumstances that had devised it.  
  
He also noticed out of the corner of his eye that Gateau looked away from Vanilla and Marron when she kissed him, his eyes pained, but Carrot remained unsympathetic.  
  
*As much as I teased Marron about not liking girls, I always knew that he'd react when he saw the right one, and Vanilla must be the right one. He fell pretty hard for her in such a short amount of time; that's pretty obvious. I hope Gateau gets the point now and leaves Marron alone.*  
  
"Well," Vanilla said, slipping off the bed, "I'm hungry, so I'm going to go make something to eat." She hadn't noticed how wide Marron's eyes had gotten.  
  
"Vanilla, you should be resting!" Marron exclaimed, standing quickly and taking her arm to prevent her from walking away.  
  
"Yeah, one of us can cook something for you," Tira said, concerned.  
  
"You just sit here and cuddle with Marron and your new baby for a while," Chocolate added. "It isn't a good idea for you to be up and about so soon after the birth."  
  
Vanilla stared at Marron, clearly surprised. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "I just had a baby, not a terrible illness. There were no complications at all; even Butterscotch will tell you that was an easy birth. Why are you all making such a big fuss over all this?"  
  
"Well, yes, but shouldn't you take it easy for a couple of days?" Marron asked anxiously. "You should be exhausted."  
  
"I'm not," she said reassuringly, smiling at him warmly. "I appreciate your concern, but really, I'm all right."  
  
"It really is okay, Marron," Butterscotch said then. "I promise you that she will not hurt herself if she goes back to her daily routine right away."  
  
Marron looked at Carrot almost pleadingly, as if to say, *Help me convince her to lie down again!*  
  
Carrot motioned to Vanilla, and, startled, she moved closer to him.  
  
"Maybe you should lie down for a while," he whispered, noting with a start the uncharacteristic flash of jealousy in Marron's eyes. "If only to make Marron feel better, anyway. This is his first kid, so you should cut him a little slack."  
  
Vanilla looked at Carrot oddly; her back was to Marron, so she missed the look in his eyes. "I suppose I can, but . . ."  
  
"Tira can cook, unlike Chocolate," Carrot added with a faint shudder. "You don't need to worry about that."  
  
"Tira doesn't know where everything is, though," Vanilla protested.  
  
"I'll make something," Butterscotch offered. "I know where everything is."  
  
Vanilla sighed. "All right," she conceded, and turned back to the bed. She sat down and looked up at Marron, who had composed himself now. "I'll stay here, although I still don't know why you're so worried about me."  
  
"Thank you," Marron said with a faint smile.  
  
"Well, I guess we'll all clear out and let you rest, Vanilla," Carrot said with a grin.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Gateau said. "Sleep well." He walked out the door calmly.  
  
Taking the hint, Chocolate handed Mint back to her mother with a little reluctance and a warm smile. "She's so adorable! Now if I could only convince Darling how wonderful children are . . ."  
  
"Chocolate!" Tira scolded, flushing, and Chocolate giggled.  
  
Carrot's eye twitched. "Come on girls; Vanilla needs her rest," he said impatiently, and herded them both out.  
  
"I'll be right back," Carrot heard his brother say quietly, and felt a hand on his shoulder as he stepped into the hallway. "Niisan, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
"Sure, bro. What's up?" he asked.  
  
Marron looked at him determinedly. "Stay away from Vanilla," he said.  
  
"What?" Carrot exclaimed, shocked.  
  
*He doesn't really think I'd try to take her away from him, does he? After seeing how happy she makes him? No way!*  
  
Marron continued to look at his brother unwaveringly. "You can have Tira, you can have Chocolate, and you can have Gateau for all I care. Just please, leave Vanilla alone."  
  
"Yuck! What would I want Gateau for?" Carrot joked, trying to get his brother to laugh, but it didn't erase the resolute expression on Marron's face at all. If anything, it strengthened it. "Marron, you don't need to worry," he added hastily. "I won't take her from you."  
  
Marron flushed and looked away. "I-I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know what came over me - "  
  
Carrot grinned, putting a hand on his shoulder affectionately. "You don't have to apologize to me. I know you've had a hard day, what with us showing up out of nowhere and Vanilla giving birth to your kid and everything, so I can understand how you'd be a little stressed out. Just go in there and sit with your lovely wife and your new daughter and take it easy for a while. We'll talk later."  
  
Marron smiled hesitantly. "Thank you, Niisan."  
  
"No problem."  
  
*Oh, he's got it bad!*   
  
Carrot whistled a tune off-key as he walked off.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla was still seated on the bed, holding a sleeping Mint, when Marron walked back into the room. He let out an audible sigh of relief at the sight, and Vanilla smiled up at him softly.  
  
"Were you afraid that I was going to jump out the window?" she asked playfully, her purple eyes sparkling.  
  
"A little," he said with a straight face, and she smiled again. "I'm sorry to restrain you like this, but I'm worried about you. I don't want you to hurt yourself for something that someone else can do for you."  
  
Vanilla smiled. "I know," she said. "At least you're not making me stay up here by myself." She beckoned for him to come closer. He walked to the bed, raising an eyebrow. Vanilla set Mint down on the bed beside her, and the infant sighed gustily in her sleep. She got up on her knees so that her eyes were level with his, and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.  
  
Marron started in surprise; he hadn't expected that. He closed his eyes, leaning into her. His hands lightly grasped her elbows of their own accord, gently holding her in place, and bit back a moan.  
  
*Oh my god . . . even now she has the same affect on me.*   
  
She still hadn't pulled away; she was just pressing her lips against his, but it felt so right. Her sweet fragrance filled his nostrils intoxicatingly, and he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. The only thing that kept him from crushing her to him and shoving her down on the bed was that he was afraid to hurt her.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked her quietly, hoping that she didn't see how much the kiss had affected him.  
  
Vanilla smiled, sinking back down on the bed. It took all of his willpower to prevent himself from following her movement and claiming her lips again.  
  
"That was for being so sweet," she replied. Her expression changed then, becoming a little more serious. "Elves mate for life," she added. "I am as capable of cheating on you as I am of simply allowing a sorcerer to destroy Split Pea."  
  
Marron flushed crimson. "You heard," he managed to say after a moment.  
  
She nodded, pointing to her ears. "I have really sharp ears."  
  
He looked away, still embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly.  
  
*Just my luck,* he thought guiltily. *I have no right to feel or act possessive of Vanilla; she isn't really mine, and it's entirely my fault that she's stuck with me for the rest of her life. I wonder if there is a way to salvage this for her, but at this point . . .*   
  
He looked at Mint, who was still asleep.  
  
*I know it's selfish, but I don't want to get out of this situation. Mint already means a lot to me, and I just met her about an hour ago. And Vanilla . . . I could no more leave her than I could Mint.*  
  
"Don't be sorry," Vanilla said, grinning. "I thought it was kind of sweet."  
  
Marron started in surprise.  
  
*How could she think it's sweet that I want to own her?* He frowned at his thoughts. *Where did that come from? Why does she always do this to me? It's all so confusing.*  
  
"Well, my family has probably already been contacted about Mint's birth, so would you mind if I went down to the garden to bathe?" Vanilla asked, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"Are you certain that you should be going outside so soon?" Marron asked worriedly.  
  
"I'll be fine," she assured him. "It's always summer in my garden, unless I will it otherwise, so it'll be warm enough. Besides, I always bathe in my fountain, and I really want to get cleaned up before my family gets here. I'm all sweaty and sticky."  
  
"I suppose that would be all right," Marron said slowly. "I don't think you should be alone out there, though, so I'll sit with you."  
  
"All right," she agreed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Vanilla stepped into the warm water of the fountain with a sigh, pinning her long silver hair up in a loose bun, and glanced back at Marron secretively. She almost stamped her foot peevishly; the mage's back was properly and courteously (if frustratingly) turned on her.  
  
*I know that he doesn't want to hurt me right now since I just had Mint, but I thought that he'd at least take one little peek at me. How can I be expected to seduce him if he won't even look at me? Marron is without a doubt the most frustrating man I have ever met. He obviously won't crack so readily. Hmm.*  
  
She picked up the softly scented bar of soap and the washcloth sitting on the ledge of the fountain, lathering the washcloth thoughtfully as she watched Marron's back.  
  
*I wonder if I should pretend to pass out just to see if that would make him turn and look at me,* she mused, sorely tempted by the prospect of being in his arms. *No. I don't want to worry him too much. Damned if I'm going to let him off that easy, though. I'm going to enjoy my bath, and I'm pretty sure that will drive him crazy.*  
  
Satisfied with that thought, Vanilla began scrubbing her leg with the washcloth, humming softly to herself and watching Marron out of the corner of her eye. All she could see of him was the back of his head, but she could read the tension in the set of his shoulders. She smiled faintly, ducking her head to hide it just in case he turned around.  
  
"Are you sure that you should be doing this?" Marron asked quietly, his voice just carrying to her from where he sat. He didn't turn his head, but Vanilla was pretty sure that he was having some problems with the idea that his wife, a young, attractive, and highly desirable woman (that he should be doting on excessively right now) was bathing behind him.  
  
*Well, it might be nice if he doted on me. I'd settle for him just looking at me right now, though. I'm certainly not ugly. I wish I knew what he was thinking . . .*  
  
"Of course I'm sure," she replied cheerfully. "Think of this as a ritual cleansing if you like, but I'm not going inside until I'm finished."  
  
Marron sighed, and produced a book from somewhere.  
  
"As you wish," he replied without conviction, and opened the book.  
  
Vanilla wrinkled her nose in irritation.  
  
*Marron could read through a thunderstorm in a house with thin walls. Why can't that man cooperate? Sheesh.*  
  
Nevertheless, she pretended to not care that her husband was reading, and continued humming as she bathed with half of her attention on Marron. After several moments during which he never turned a page, Vanilla grinned to herself.  
  
*Maybe I'm more of a distraction than I seem to be,* she thought gleefully. *I wonder how much longer he's going to try to keep this up.*  
  
Just as her silent tally of the passing seconds reached forty-two, Marron looked up from the book and closed it again. It disappeared to wherever it had originally come from, and Vanilla smiled serenely as she sank down into the deep bowl of the fountain.  
  
"What now?" she asked then, startling him.  
  
He turned slowly to look at her, his relief evident in his expression when he saw that only her head, shoulders, and arms were above the rim of the fountain.  
  
"What do you mean, what now?" he asked warily.  
  
Vanilla took a deep breath, and asked the question that she had been meaning to ask him for three months. "How exactly do wives in your society act?"  
  
Marron stared at her, completely shocked. A faint blush colored his cheeks, and he looked away self-consciously. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.  
  
Vanilla shifted in the fountain, feeling slightly uncomfortable now. "I mean, how do you wish for me to behave around your family and friends? I do not want to embarrass you by acting in a manner that would be unacceptable to them."  
  
"You don't have to worry about that," Marron said quickly, leaning forward earnestly. "Niisan chases girls all the time no matter who is there to see him do it; Tira and Chocolate aren't exactly conventional anyway, and Gateau used to hit on me very blatantly no matter who - " He stopped, flushing slightly. "I don't think that any of my friends or my family could possibly be offended by you, Vanilla."  
  
Vanilla smiled as he dropped his gaze.  
  
*He's still blushing. That's really . . . cute.*  
  
"Why do you ask?" Marron added, pretending interest in the deep carpet of green grass growing around the pale orange marble path leading to the fountain.  
  
"You seemed embarrassed when I kissed you earlier," she replied, hiding her smile when his flush deepened. "I thought that you might prefer it if I acted a little less . . . well, forward around your friends."  
  
"I don't mind if you - " He stopped, flushing again, and coughed, uncomfortable. "I didn't mind," he added softly.  
  
Vanilla looked at him, startled, and blushed.  
  
*I really didn't expect this to backfire on me like that . . . He has the same effect on me that I have on him, I guess. That's actually sort of flattering, knowing that he feels the same way I do.*  
  
"Marron! Vanilla!" Carrot called from beyond the small clump of trees hiding the fountain from the rest of the garden. Vanilla inwardly cursed her luck. "There's some weird people here who want to see Vanilla - oh," he said, immediately covering his eyes as he stepped into the clearing. "Sorry; I didn't know you were doing anything."  
  
Marron sighed, and looked away.  
  
Vanilla groaned inwardly. "That's all right, Carrot. What do the people look like?"  
  
"Elves," he replied succinctly. "Do you want me to tell them that you're busy?"  
  
"No, just tell them that we'll be right there," Vanilla replied.  
  
"Got it," Carrot replied, turning quickly to flee. "Newlyweds," he muttered before he was all the way out of earshot.  
  
Vanilla sighed.  
  
*Every time I get Marron alone, someone interrupts us! It's been mostly Butterscotch lately, and now his brother is starting on it. If this keeps up, I'll never make any progress with him!*  
  
"We should go in," Marron said quietly after a moment.  
  
Vanilla nodded, still vexed. "Hand me that towel, would you?"  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
The next day, Carrot lounged idly on a bench in the garden, grateful for the peace and quiet it offered. No one else was awake yet, and he relished the respite from Chocolate.  
  
*She keeps hinting that we should get married now,* he thought irritably. *I'm not ready for a commitment like that yet, though. I still want to have fun chasing girls around, trying to date as many hot chicks as this world has to offer. If I became a husband and a father like Chocolate seems to want me to, I wouldn't be able to do that anymore. I'm still way too young for that kind of responsibility to be forced on me.*  
  
*Marron's gonna be fine. He's always been serious and sensible and reliable and all that, so he won't have any problems. Me, however, I still need to sow my wild oats, and Chocolate doesn't seem to understand that at all. She could go looking for someone who wants to settle down and have kids, but no, she just keeps bothering me about it. It's so aggravating!*  
  
He didn't want to admit that he would miss her if she left him to pursue someone else even to himself; just the thought made him immediately turn his thoughts elsewhere.  
  
Carrot grinned suddenly.  
  
*Children are major babe magnets, though,* he realized suddenly. *Maybe Marron and Vanilla would let me borrow Mint for a while today or sometime soon so I can take her to Split Pea . . . there were some really hot chicks there from what I remember from the last time we passed through there.*  
  
Suddenly, someone knocked on the little gate to the garden. Carrot stood up and walked over to the gate.  
  
*Hey, maybe it's one of those lovely village girls who heard we were staying here and came to pay a visit . . .*   
  
He walked faster.  
  
Unfortunately for Carrot, it was a tall, slender, well-dressed man with short, wavy brown hair and blue eyes. He looked vaguely familiar for some reason, but Carrot couldn't place him. He was carrying a large basket with a cloth over it, and smiling pleasantly.  
  
"Hello," the man said cheerily. "I'm from Split Pea. This basket is a welcoming present to you all to our town."  
  
"How nice," Carrot said, delighted but a little wary.  
  
*Why does this not feel right?*  
  
"Would you be certain that your brother in particular gets this?" he asked politely.  
  
"Sure," Carrot said, reaching for the basket. "What's in it?"  
  
"Oh, this and that," the man said, watching intently as Carrot lifted the cloth suspiciously.  
  
Abruptly, Carrot stiffened.  
  
*The Forbidden Magic!*  
  
Then he screamed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes: My first cliffhanger. ^_^ So, what do y'all think of this? Are any of you ready to track me down and throttle me yet? If you want more, then by all means, review and let me know.  
  
And now for the thank-yous for my reviews:  
  
Aelis: Wow, my first Internet stalker! Lucky for me you don't know where I live. ^_^ Thanks for supporting Vanilla and liking/reviewing my story! Repeat reviewers always make me happy.  
  
Creamer: Thanks! Glad you like it so far. ^_^ I hope the rest of my story lives up to your expectations. You have a very valid point: I did get carried away with the blushing thing, especially since it hardly ever happens in the anime or in the manga. Sorry about that! ^_^ It does get better, actually, in regard to the blushing.  
  
JRM: Yay! You're back! ^_^ Are you really going to draw a scene from this story? Wow . . . I'm speechless! Thank you! I get to see it, right? I'll be waiting to see your fanfics; feel free to email me and let me know that you've posted them. ^_^  
  
Until next time, please remember to leave a review. ^_^  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	8. Part 7

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 7  
  
Disclaimer: I still do not own, but I swear that if I do get the rights to the Sorcerer Hunters for my birthday, you legal freaks will be the first ones to know because I won't stop gloating for years. Since that will never happen, I think this series safe from me. ^_^  
  
Warnings: Violence, more borrowing from the manga (you should read the manga; it's much better than the anime, especially since the authors devote more time to the awesome character that Marron is. ^_^). And, if characters are OOC, it's because I made them that way to fit the story and/or amuse myself.  
  
*There's something very wrong here,* Vanilla thought drowsily, and opened her eyes. *I can't quite place it, but it's not my imagination - I'm certain of that, at least. Why are my wards so quiet, though?*  
  
Suddenly, she heard a very loud scream that became a roar of rage. Marron jerked awake beside her. Vanilla looked at him.  
  
"What was that? It sounded human at first, but then - "  
  
"Niisan!" Marron whispered urgently. He sat up and pulled on his clothes, hardly sparing a glance at her. Without a word, she got up and got dressed as well, stopping to pick up Mint as she followed him out the door.  
  
"You don't have to come," he told her on the stairs. "If something happens -"  
  
"Carrot is my family too now," she replied calmly, shifting the baby in her arms. "And before you say anything, Mint is safer with me than anywhere else."  
  
Marron opened his mouth to argue, but then thought the better of it and continued downstairs. "I suppose that telling you to stay back is not going to work either?"  
  
"Nope," she said cheerfully. "I've been trained in my people's magic since I was three years old. I can take care of Mint, myself and you, if it becomes necessary."  
  
He raised an eyebrow, but did not comment.  
  
Tira was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Marron!" she cried when he entered the room, her face unnaturally pale and wearing a strange, skimpy black leather outfit. "It's Bagel! He got Carrot and Chocolate!"  
  
Vanilla hissed, clutching Mint closer to her body. The infant stayed silent, sensing somehow that something was wrong and that now was the time to lay low and stay quiet so that her parents could make everything better again.  
  
Marron went absolutely white at Tira's announcement, and his eyes hardened in rage. A large stack of ofuda appeared in his hand from up his sleeve. "Where?" he demanded coldly of Tira.  
  
"The garden," Tira said. "Gateau is fighting Bagel now, and he told me to come get you so that - "  
  
She was interrupted by a scream of pain that could only have come from Gateau, and Marron stiffened in anger, then pushed past Tira, heading for the door to the garden. Tira followed him, coiling a whip in her hands.  
  
"Wait!" Vanilla cried, but they ignored her. "If Bagel is here, then so is Lox! It's too dangerous for you to - oh, hell!" She ran after them just in time to see them both caught in Lox's spell. They screamed as they were taken, absorbed into the crystal Lox held in her outstretched hand. Vanilla's heart nearly froze in helpless fury.  
  
"Greetings, Vanilla," Lox purred, a malicious smile twisting her dark red lips. She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder casually, revealing the low-cut v-necked bodice of her long red dress. "It's been so long since we've seen each other I thought Bagel and I should stop in and see how everything was going. Ah, and what a charming little one you have there."  
  
*So that's why my wards didn't respond to their presence,* she thought, some part of her mind still thinking and analyzing her situation even though she wanted to tear Lox and Bagel limb from limb. *They destroyed them. They're better than I thought, but they're still no match for me.*  
  
"You do realize that I am going to kill you now, right?" Vanilla replied coolly.  
  
Lox laughed as Bagel appeared at her side, slipping one lavender-covered arm around her waist. His purple hair materialized from underneath the illusion spell he'd used to trick Carrot, and his fierce blue eyes smirked at her.  
  
"Ah, but if you kill us," Bagel said soothingly, "all of your little friends will die."  
  
"Unless?" Vanilla prodded when he paused, one feathery silver eyebrow raised.  
  
"Unless you give us your scrying crystal," Bagel replied, smiling. "I'm sure that you can recognize the power that it would give us, being able to spy on the movements of the Stellar Church and ferret out all of her sorcerer hunters. It would earn us a great deal of power in the social circles alone."  
  
*He doesn't know how tightly shielded they are,* she realized. *Still, given time and incentive, not to mention allies, they might find a way to get around that . . . No matter what, I must stop them here, even at the cost of Marron and his friends.*  
  
Her heart squeezed in her chest, but she stood firmly.  
  
"My, aren't we presumptuous," Vanilla said mildly, and they lost their smiles. "You're going to regret crossing me."  
  
Lox glared at her. "You call us presumptuous? We are much stronger than we were when we met four months ago. Perhaps you need a lesson in common courtesy."  
  
She raised the hand with the crystal in it, and a thin tendril of smoke reached out.  
  
"Come, little one," Lox cooed at Mint. "Come with Auntie Lox."  
  
Vanilla snorted contemptuously. "Oh, please. Is that all you've got?"  
  
She reached out her hand and snapped the tendril of smoke like a twig, whispering a charm to direct all of the magical energies back onto Lox. The red-haired sorceress screamed and dropped her crystal. For one long moment, Vanilla watched it fall toward the ground.  
  
Bagel caught it easily, frowning at Vanilla angrily. "You will regret that," he said ominously.  
  
"Ha!" Vanilla spat. "The last time we fought I took your eye." He lifted his hand to his healed face almost protectively. "This time I'll take your life."  
  
"Bring your scrying crystal to our castle up on the hill," Lox spat, "and be there by sun down, or your friends will die."  
  
The sorcerers vanished, leaving Vanilla shaking with anger.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"Mother," Vanilla said quietly as she entered Tangerine's kitchen. Ravensara and Tarragon were seated at the table, and all three of them turned to look at her in surprise.  
  
"You're not here for a social call are you?" Tangerine asked, studying her daughter silently.  
  
*Dear gods, she's wearing her daggers . . . she hasn't worn those in years!*  
  
"No," Vanilla said. She walked closer, and they could see that she carried her daughter in a backpack that she took off and handed to her mother resolutely. "I need you to take care of Mint for me."  
  
"Why?" Tangerine asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"Bagel and Lox have returned," she said flatly. "They took my husband and his friends. I am going to bring them back."  
  
"We will go with you," Ravensara said as she and her husband stood up. "Those idiots need to be taught a lesson far more severe than you would ever deal out, sister. No one messes with our family without calling down our wrath upon their heads."  
  
Tarragon nodded firmly in agreement. "We will not allow you to go alone either, Vanilla," he said calmly.  
  
Vanilla nodded once, and smiled faintly. "Thank you," she said simply. She turned to Tangerine. "Will you watch Mint for me and keep her safe?"  
  
Tangerine snorted. "Do you even need to ask?" she replied, and Vanilla relaxed with a sigh of relief. "Go and get your husband back, child. You need not fear for your daughter now."  
  
"Thank you," Vanilla said again.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
The sun was just beginning to sink in the sky as they walked into Bagel and Lox's castle. Vanilla destroyed their wards with a flick of her wrist, burning them in her impatience to get Marron and the others back safely.  
  
*I will not panic. I will get them all back without a scratch on them, because no one will ever find any evidence left behind that Bagel and Lox ever existed if even one hair on Marron's head is displaced.*  
  
"Are you all right?" Tarragon asked her warily as they entered the main door of the castle into a large, empty room with huge colorful tapestries covering the windows and a large chandelier filled with lighted candles. A grand black marble staircase extended upward in the center of the room, but that was all they saw in the room.  
  
"Fine," Vanilla said with a faint smile. "I'll be better once Bagel and Lox are dead, though."  
  
Lox's soft, musical laughter drifted through the air from nowhere and everywhere.  
  
The three elves tensed slightly.  
  
"You can't even tell where we are, Vanilla dear," Lox said, thoroughly amused. "And you'll never find us unless you give up your scrying crystal."  
  
Ravensara snorted in disgust. "Pathetic," she sneered, waving her hand in a negating gesture. Bagel screamed, and suddenly he and Lox appeared near the black marble staircase. "That spell is hardly worth the effort for me to break. I thought you were supposed to have gotten more powerful since the last time Vanilla fought you."  
  
Bagel recovered quickly and glared at Ravensara contemptuously. "You are of no particular use to us, elf-wench," he spat, and suddenly reeled when Tarragon threw something at him. Blood spattered Lox's dress and dripped from Bagel's cheek.  
  
"You will not be so disrespectful of my heart-mate ever again," Tarragon said coolly.  
  
"You said yourself, Vanilla, that you would kill us by your own hand," Lox sneered, but her face was quite pale. "You said that you are more than a match for us, yet you brought these other two here to fight us as well? You're just talk, aren't you? Your magic was weakened by the birth of your child, which is why we chose to strike you the next day, and now you cannot even fight two human sorcerers by yourself."  
  
Vanilla just smiled. "I had wondered about your timing," she said conversationally. "I have no idea how you learned that the Sorcerer Hunters were staying with me, but I would suggest that you save your pitiful attempt at stalling the inevitable and return them to this plane now."  
  
"And if we refuse?" Bagel demanded.  
  
"Which I suppose you're going to do anyway." Vanilla's smile widened. "My people's magic draws upon the vast energy of nature, and as such, it cannot be weakened by mere physical strain. It seems as though your first experience of it was insufficient to teach you just how different it is from the corrupt form of magic you wield, so I shall demonstrate its power to you one final time."  
  
"Lox, what is she doing?" Bagel hissed, grabbing her arm. "This wasn't in the plan. She was just supposed to fold over in grief so I could kill her!"  
  
Lox shook her head, staring at the elf as she prepared to cast her spell. "I've never seen anything like this," she whispered, and Bagel stared at her, shocked by the very real fear in her voice.  
  
Vanilla ignored them and raised her hands, crossing her wrists. "Spirits of wind, heed my call, and come to my aid," she whispered softly, and a small ball of air energy formed in front of her crossed arms. A light breeze ruffled her clothing and stirred her hair gently as if in welcome. "Thank you," she sighed.  
  
She released the energy toward the sorcerers, and the ball of air expanded before the terrified eyes of the two sorcerers, becoming a swirling windstorm that flung them to opposite sides of the room. They slammed into the walls, pinned there for a moment by the force of her spell.  
  
Lox's crystal fell from her hand when she hit the wall, and Vanilla released her control of the spirits of wind, letting the energy dissipate slowly. The crystal rolled across the floor, guided by a stray wind spirit right to Vanilla's foot. She smiled and bent to pick it up, ignoring the sorcerers, who groaned as they slid to the floor, unconscious.  
  
"Thank you," she sighed again, and started examining the crystal. It was a milky gray in color that spun, rippled, and eddied, as if trying to conceal something in the heart of the rock. If she concentrated hard enough, she might find a clue as to where Marron and the others were.  
  
"What were you saying about my sister being weakened?" Ravensara was asking the unconscious Lox triumphantly. "Your control was a bit off, Vanilla, but that's to be expected. The wind spirits have always liked you, so they had no trouble serving you. I hope you don't ever try that with water or fire spirits, though."  
  
Vanilla ignored her, willing the milky gray crystal to divulge its secrets to her.  
  
*Come on . . . I know you can tell me. Where are they?*  
  
"Now, dear, I think her focus was excellent, under the circumstances, and that's really what counts when you deal with elemental spirits," Tarragon argued, turning to frown at his wife. "You shouldn't nit-pick over such little things."  
  
Vanilla's eyes widened as the cloudy fog inside the crystal slowly stopped churning and parted around her answer. A dark tunnel of ice appeared inside of it, and she thought she could make out a vague figure inside of it.  
  
"They're in here," Vanilla said, clutching the crystal in her hand. She looked up at her sister. "Can you - "  
  
"Keep an eye on them, yes," Ravensara interrupted with a smile and a toss of her long black hair. She smiled, and her jet-black eyes sparkled warmly. "Go retrieve your husband and his friends without fear. We will deal with the garbage for you."  
  
"Thank you, sister," Vanilla said, her eyes misting.  
  
"Oh," Tarragon said, reaching into a pouch at his belt. "Here, Vanilla. Take this with you, just in case you should happen to need it." He tossed her a small vial of some dark green liquid. Vanilla caught it easily. "It's an all-purpose blend of healing herbs, good for healing anything and nearly everything."  
  
"Thanks, Tarragon," Vanilla said with a smile. She lifted the crystal in her hands and concentrated hard.  
  
*Please still be alive,* she prayed silently. *I would never forgive myself if I came too late . . .*  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
*Where . . . where am I?*  
  
Marron came slowly back to awareness, feeling the restraints of the spell Lox had put on him loosen slightly. He still could not move, but he could breathe a little more easily.  
  
*Why is it so cold?*  
  
He noticed that his eyes were open as a light approached him, but he couldn't move or call out to the person carrying the light. He waited as patiently as he could for the person to draw nearer so he could see who it was, but then he found that he couldn't see very well.  
  
*There's something in front of me . . . maybe around me, and it's cold. What is it? And is that Lox or Bagel, coming to taunt me with how ineffectual I was at fighting them? No, wait . . . that's Vanilla!*  
  
Marron could vaguely see her long silver hair, gleaming metallic in the light from the white ball in her hand. Her purple eyes were shadowed blobs of an indeterminate color, but her hair gave her away. He tried to move, to show that he was alive and within whatever it was that she was studying so intently around him.  
  
Suddenly, just as he was beginning to despair ever being freed again, Vanilla raised something that shone like her hair, and brought her fist toward him.  
  
*What is she doing? Is she angry with me for ignoring her warning?*  
  
Marron felt something crack and fall away from his body, and suddenly, he was free. A chill wind blew past him, and shards of ice flew everywhere around him. One sliced his cheek painfully just before he collapsed into Vanilla's warm arms.  
  
"Thank goodness," she whispered in his ear, holding him tightly against her. "I got here in time."  
  
Marron sighed with relief, putting his arms around her slender waist, greedily drinking in her warmth.  
  
"Where . . . where are we?" he gasped out.  
  
"This is one of Lox's spell traps," Vanilla said, her arms tightening around him. "Don't use your magic here; I had to defuse one trap attuned to Eastern Magic wards already, and there might be more." She paused, resting her head on his shoulder. "I hate to ask this, but do you know if the others are all here?"  
  
*The others . . . *  
  
Her words brought back the memory of seeing Tira disappear with a terrified scream just before he followed her.  
  
"I don't know," Marron whispered, and clutched her even tighter. "Did they capture you too?"  
  
"No," she replied to his relief. "I came here to get you."  
  
"What about Lox and Bagel?" Marron asked. "They didn't just let you walk in, did they?"  
  
"Ravensara and Tarragon are watching them," Vanilla said, her hands briskly rubbing his back to try to warm him.  
  
"Where's Mint?" he asked frantically, noticing that she didn't have the baby with her.  
  
"With my mother," she soothed. "Don't worry. She will protect our daughter as well as you or I would."  
  
"Niisan," Marron said then, very softly. He let go of Vanilla and straightened even though it hurt to move and he was still brutally cold.  
  
"You're hurt," Vanilla said, touching his cheek.  
  
"It's nothing," he said, impatient to find his brother.  
  
"Let me take care of it," Vanilla insisted, reaching up on tiptoe to brush her lips over the scrape gently. The pain in his cheek faded almost instantly, and he was immediately much warmer with that gentle caress. "Now we can go."  
  
Marron smiled at her, and took his first look around. They were standing in a long, deep cavern of ice. Aside from the small ball of white light that Vanilla still held, he could see a faint light up ahead in the tunnel. Behind them, the tunnel continued into darkness. He glanced down and saw the remains of his icy prison lying at his feet.  
  
*Ice . . . a cavern of ice . . .* he thought absently. *Why is this so familiar? Where have I seen this before?*  
  
"Are you all right?" Vanilla asked cautiously, taking his hand.  
  
Marron stiffened, suddenly remembering.  
  
*The dream! Oh, god, the dream! It was a warning, but I forgot it until now . . . Niisan!*  
  
Shivering with dread, he ran forward over the dark, slippery ice, pulling Vanilla with him.  
  
"Marron, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly as she struggled to keep up with him.  
  
"This is like the dream I had just before I set the inn on fire," he replied tersely, sparing her one glance. "I was walking in a cavern of ice like this, and I found . . . I found my brother and the others trapped in pillars of ice."  
  
Vanilla gasped, and her hand tightened on his. He stopped running and turned to her, realizing something.  
  
"But you weren't there in my dream," he said wonderingly. His hand caressed her cheek, tangling in her long hair. "And I was the only one that was free . . ."  
  
"I can get them out," Vanilla told him confidently. "We'll find them, and if they're trapped like you were, I can get them out."  
  
He pulled her into his arms without warning, burying his face in her long silver hair. She leaned against him, hugging him tightly.  
  
"It's different already," he whispered, feeling tears well up in his eyes.  
  
*Thank god she's here . . . I don't know what I would do if she wasn't here beside me.*  
  
"We should go now," she whispered. "We have to find them quickly."  
  
Marron loosened his death grip on her to pull back a little, then leaned forward again before he could change his mind or she could pull away and kissed her. Vanilla shivered and kissed him back, gasping when he deepened the kiss a moment later. They were both out of breath when he finally pulled away.  
  
"Sorry," he murmured. Her eyes were still closed, and their purple color was deep and faintly dazed when she finally opened them. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."  
  
Vanilla smiled warmly up at him. "You should do it more often," she said impishly, and he laughed. "Let's go find the others."  
  
"Right," he agreed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Marron's hand clenched on Vanilla's as they reached the first pillar of ice. "In the dream, this is where I found Gateau," he said softly, his face much paler than usual.  
  
She nodded and stopped him when he stepped forward. He looked at her quizzically, but she slipped past him up to the icy pillar.  
  
*Broad shoulders, brown jacket, blond hair, and a spiky shoulder guard on one shoulder. That's definitely Gateau.*  
  
She pulled the dagger she had used to break Marron out of his pillar out of its sheath and held it up.  
  
Marron let go of her other hand, stepping back to watch as she murmured ancient words to the dagger. She raised it, then struck the ice forcefully with the blade. Gateau's icy prison shattered, and Marron grabbed her around her waist, pulling her body behind his protectively as the icy shards flew everywhere.  
  
Gateau collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath and shivering. Vanilla leaned on Marron for a moment, closing her eyes as a familiar dizziness made the room spin. When it passed she walked around Marron, kneeling at Gateau's side.  
  
"Open your mouth," Vanilla said, and put three drops of the dark green liquid on the big man's tongue. He stopped shivering almost instantly, and peered blearily up at her.  
  
"Vanilla?" Gateau croaked in surprise, staring at her. "Where are we?"  
  
"That seems to be the question of the day," Vanilla said with a tight smile.  
  
"This is Lox's spell trap," Marron said, kneeling on the big man's other side. "Can you stand?"  
  
"I think so," Gateau said, and shifted his large body to rise slowly and painfully with their help. "It hurts to move," he complained, stretching his arms cautiously.  
  
"That will pass," Vanilla said. "We have to keep going now. The others are all here somewhere, and we must find them quickly."  
  
Gateau stiffened. "Was everyone captured?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Except for Vanilla," Marron said quietly.  
  
"Kuso . . ."  
  
"Next is Tira," Marron said, and walked on through the tunnel. Vanilla and Gateau followed him to the next pillar.  
  
"Kuso!" Gateau said again when he saw Tira encased in the ice.  
  
"Be ready to catch her, Gateau," Marron said, standing close to Vanilla, "and be careful. The ice is very sharp when it shatters."  
  
The big man nodded, and stood ready. Vanilla murmured the spell, and struck the pillar of ice with the dagger. It shattered on impact, and Tira fell into Gateau's arms. Marron again pulled Vanilla behind him, shielding her from the ice fragments with his body.  
  
*He protected me again,* she thought, pleased, and suddenly sagged against Marron. He caught her easily.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.  
  
Vanilla nodded, leaning against Marron as the dizziness got a little more severe before it passed.  
  
"I'd forgotten how much that spell takes out of me," she said through the spectacular array of exploding lights blocking her view of Marron's face. She held the vial out to Gateau. "Please give her four drops of this if she isn't conscious yet," she instructed. "I'm still seeing stars."  
  
After a moment, Vanilla heard Tira groan, and was able to see clearly again as the pink-haired girl sat up, holding her head in her hands. Suddenly, she stiffened.  
  
"Carrot! Chocolate!" she cried, looking around wildly.  
  
"We haven't found them yet," Gateau said gently, and Tira looked at him, startled.  
  
"What do you mean?" she demanded, clearly confused.  
  
"We have to keep going," Vanilla said firmly. "Can you stand?"  
  
"I think so . . ."  
  
"I'll help," Gateau offered, easily lifting Tira's slender frame as gently as he could, his blue eyes concerned. Once Tira was on her feet, they went to the next pillar, where Chocolate waited, her body frozen in an agonized pose, the pain in her expression clear.  
  
"Stay behind me," Gateau told Tira when she cried out in horror and tried to go to Chocolate's pillar. "It'll shatter when Vanilla breaks her out of there. I'll catch her, so you don't need to worry."  
  
"All right," Tira said reluctantly, and stood behind the big man.  
  
Vanilla struck again with the dagger, releasing Chocolate from the icy pillar. Marron gripped Vanilla tightly when she nearly collapsed against him, breathing heavily. She did not see Gateau catching Chocolate, nor even Tira rushing to her sister's side.  
  
"Chocolate!" she sobbed, clutching her sister's shoulders as tears poured down her face. "Wake up! Oh, please, wake up!"  
  
"Maybe you should have some of that stuff too," Marron suggested, bracing her as she reeled dizzily again. Gateau looked up at her inquiringly.  
  
"Chocolate first," she managed to wheeze. "Give her five drops."  
  
The second that the bluish tinge to Chocolate's skin faded, Gateau handed Vanilla the small vial. She put three drops on her tongue, feeling better immediately.  
  
"This is great stuff," she remarked, looking at the vial. "I wonder where Tarragon got it?" She smiled at Marron. "Good suggestion. Let's go find Carrot," she said, and Chocolate stirred, moaning.  
  
"Darling!" she cried, sitting up. "Where's Darling?!"  
  
"This way," Marron said curtly, pointing, clearly fuming with impatience to find his brother.  
  
"Carrot has probably been in the ice the longest," Vanilla said quietly. "We have to get there quickly."  
  
Chocolate and Tira both let out a simultaneous small cry of horror and scrambled in the direction Marron had indicated, with the rest of them following.  
  
The girls were the first to stop in front of Carrot's pillar, emitting twin gasps.  
  
Marron suddenly grabbed Vanilla's arm. She looked back at him curiously.  
  
"In the dream, just when I got to Carrot's pillar," he said, his golden eyes narrowed as he glanced around them warily, "those things appeared."  
  
Vanilla looked. Her eyes widened.  
  
"Ice demons? Bagel and Lox have ice demons serving them?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Let us handle them," Chocolate grated, reaching for her garrote. "There's only about twenty. Vanilla, you get Darling out of there. This will only take a few moments. Come on, Tira!"  
  
"Right, sis!"  
  
"Save some for me," Gateau said, cracking his knuckles.  
  
*How the hell did Bagel and Lox get those to serve them? How many people did those stupid idiots drain to get their attention?*  
  
Marron put his hand on Carrot's pillar, and Vanilla turned to look at him. "I'll get him out," she promised to make the terrible sadness in his eyes go away.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered, his eyes on the pillar.  
  
"Don't worry about me," she added with a smile. "Catch him."  
  
Marron nodded, stepping back a little as Vanilla prepared to cast the spell. She struck with her dagger, and the pillar shattered like glass. Marron leaped through the shards of flying ice without hesitation, and Carrot dropped into his arms.  
  
Vanilla staggered a little, and Marron looked at her anxiously.  
  
"I'm fine," she told him, and stepped forward.  
  
*Gods, his skin is completely blue . . . he's worse than Chocolate was. The medicine that Tarragon gave me should work on him if it's as good as it's supposed to be, though.*   
  
Vanilla put ten drops of the liquid on Carrot's tongue before he responded with a faint moan. Marron let out a sigh of relief when his brother stirred, moaning again.  
  
Carrot opened his eyes and grinned weakly. "Hey, bro. What took you so long?"  
  
Marron sighed in relief again, hugging his brother hard for a moment. Carrot smiled gently and hugged him back briefly, then pulled away to sit up. "Hey, what are those?"  
  
"Ice demons," Marron replied grimly, but then his eyes widened as the icy cavern wavered and disappeared around them, leaving them standing in the large room with the black marble staircase again.  
  
"What happened?" Carrot asked, confused.  
  
Suddenly, Tira screamed as her whip's momentum carried it toward a tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed elf. He smiled and caught it easily on one wrist.  
  
Orange smiled at Tira kindly. "Be careful with this thing, okay?" he said to her stricken expression. He uncoiled the end of the whip from his wrist and walked toward her. "It's okay, really. No harm done." He handed her the whip with a sunny smile.  
  
Tira blushed and exchanged a glance with an equally blushing Chocolate.  
  
"Well, it's about time you got the spell on the pocket dimension unraveled, Orange," Ravensara muttered irritably. "It shouldn't have taken that long!"  
  
"Sorry, sister-dear," Orange said cheerfully. "It was more complicated than I thought it was going to be."  
  
"Orange, you lunatic, what are you doing here?" Vanilla demanded.  
  
"Mother told me what happened, and sent me after you left. I came to see if Ravensara and Tarragon needed any advice on how to torment Bagel and Lox for what they did to you," he explained.  
  
Tarragon grinned. "He had a lot of interesting ideas," he said.  
  
"Oh, dear," Vanilla said, sighing. "I don't want to know, do I?"  
  
"Suffice it to say that Bagel and Lox will no longer be causing havoc on this plain," Ravensara said brightly, fingering a large crystal teardrop-shaped pendant hanging around her neck.  
  
*That's one of Lemon's soul jewels . . . I thought she destroyed them all when the Stellar Church outlawed them.*  
  
Vanilla stared at it incredulously.  
  
"Good," Marron was saying, and smiled warmly at Vanilla when she looked at him. "Let's go home."  
  
Vanilla smiled back at him. "Let's," she agreed.  
  
*~~~~~~~~ To be continued, yet again ~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes: We're coming into the home stretch here. There's only going to be two or three more chapters, depending on how the final revisions go. No, I am not going to pair Tira and/or Chocolate with Orange. So don't flame me for that, because I swear it won't ever happen. Flames from people who ignored this note will be ignored; I don't know if I'm ever going to do another Sorcerer Hunter fanfic, but if I do, I won't be messing with Tira and Chocolate's thing for Carrot. That would just be wrong.  
  
Oh, and go read my Kenshin fanfic Mending. It's starved for reviews. ^_^  
  
Enough shameless plugging; these are my thankyous for the last chapter's reviews:  
  
DratiniRocket: Oh, okay. Thanks! I've seen loads of support for the Gateau/Marron pairing too. Personally, I think you can argue just about any pairing with the canon characters of Sorcerer Hunters that you want too; I've seen evidence for just about anything you can think of, and sometimes that gets into mildly disturbing incest (shudder). That is, however, my own personal bias.  
  
Anime Jen: Thank you for reviewing. ^_^ Let me know what you think of the changes I made in this chapter. You know, if it weren't for your support, a lot of my writing would never have been completed. You're a very good sounding board for ideas, and your input means a lot to me. Also, if it wasn't for you, I would never have been introduced to anime, and my life would be that much less interesting. Thank you for being my friend and putting up with my insanity lately. ^_^ I think I'm over most of it now, so you can relax.  
  
(Yes, Anime Jen is one of my closest friends, and usually the first person I send my writing to for input, if anyone is curious. ^_^)  
  
Aelis: Thanks for sticking with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I did try to put an emphasis on Marron's relationship with Carrot. How much Marron cares about Carrot is definitely a very important part of his character. ^_^  
  
See ya next time!  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	9. Part 8

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 8  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned the Sorcerer Hunters, I would not be working for peanuts. I'd be rich and living off the royalties; not to mention gloating every chance I get.  
  
Warnings: Sorry; Marron gets teased some more. Haters of Marron/original female character pairings keep out!  
  
  
  
Tangerine met them at the garden gate, handing Vanilla her daughter as soon as they'd entered the garden. "You have some interesting guests, Vanilla," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
Marron bit back a sigh of disappointment. "One of them isn't Ramen, is it?" he asked. I'd kind of hoped to spend a little time with Vanilla and my brother and everyone since we just got back from Bagel's castle.  
  
"No," Tangerine said. "It's some strange little girl with wings and a giant woman who claim to be from the Stellar Church."  
  
Vanilla sighed. "My wards are fried again, aren't they?"  
  
"The ones that Bagel and Lox didn't touch are, yes," Tangerine said apologetically. "Your father is out replacing them for you right now."  
  
Vanilla sighed again. "Well, at least I don't have to do it."  
  
"A girl with wings and a giant woman," Carrot muttered. "It's gotta be Big Mama and Dota. Geez, I hope it's not another assignment. We just finished the last one less than an hour ago."  
  
"For once I agree with you, Darling," Chocolate said, sighing wearily.  
  
*Damn. I never even thought of that!* Marron swore inwardly. *I can't go out on an assignment now. I'll miss so much of Mint growing up . . . if I stay a Sorcerer Hunter, that is . . . but could I really quit just like that?*  
  
"Well, time to face the music," Gateau said with a sigh. "No point in putting off the inevitable by sitting around out here."  
  
Everyone followed Gateau inside the house, trudging wearily.  
  
"Whoa, you guys look exhausted!" Dota exclaimed.  
  
Vanilla's eyes widened. "So that's why they call you Big Mama," she said, and Big Mama smiled.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for saving my Sorcerer Hunters from Bagel and Lox," she said serenely. "I am sorry to have broken through your wards again."  
  
Vanilla shrugged. "As long as I don't have to replace them, I don't mind," she replied. "I would prefer it if you asked before you enter my house next time, though, since I can easily let you through the wards without damaging them."  
  
Big Mama smiled again. "I will do that," she agreed.  
  
"Um, excuse me," said Lemon from Big Mama's left, "but if you're done with Vanilla, we'd like to steal her for a moment. She just went off with Ravensara and Tarragon and did something to the people who dared to mess with our family without me, and I'd like to scold her a little."  
  
Vanilla grinned. "Sorry sister, but you weren't there to ask," she said, shifting Mint in her arms. The infant gurgled happily, waving her arms around.  
  
"We invited ourselves anyway," Ravensara added cheerfully.  
  
"Siblings," Lemon said with a sigh. "At least let me fuss over you while you tell me what happened. Have you made cookies recently? I can make some tea."  
  
"I think Butterscotch did," Vanilla said as her sister dragged her off to the kitchen.  
  
Tangerine, Orange, and Tarragon followed, but Ravensara hesitated.  
  
"By the way, here are your sorcerers." Ravensara pulled the pendant off from around her neck and handed it to Big Mama, who took it solemnly. "Do what you want with it, but don't smash it unless you want to remove them from the pendant."  
  
"I hope you don't have any more soul jewels," Big Mama said with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Last of its kind," Ravensara assured her. "Lemon can attest to that." Then she disappeared after her family into the kitchen.  
  
"Mint is a beautiful child, Marron," Big Mama said after they were gone. "And Vanilla's family are very nice people. Are you happy here?"  
  
Marron nodded without hesitation. "Without Vanilla, none of us would be here," he said softly.  
  
"Yeah, she saved us all," Carrot said, awed. "I'm amazed that she still has the strength to stand after all that."  
  
"She's pretty powerful," Tira said quietly.  
  
"Marron," Big Mama said then, "do you want to continue to be a Sorcerer Hunter now that you have a family here?"  
  
Marron started in surprise.  
  
"What?!" Gateau exclaimed, shocked. "How can you ask him that?"  
  
Carrot looked sad. "Would you ask him to miss seeing Mint grow up, Gateau?" he asked steadily.  
  
"Well, no, but . . ." The big man's voice trailed off, and he dropped his gaze.  
  
Chocolate and Tira both looked at Carrot in astonishment, evidently amazed that he would say something so serious like that. Marron wasn't surprised.  
  
"You always have a choice, Marron," Big Mama said seriously. "I will not force you into making a decision right away. You may take some time to think about it. You will probably not have another assignment for a while, especially once the sorcerers hear that Bagel and Lox were defeated."  
  
A collective sigh of relief rose up from the five Hunters, and Dota grinned at them, amused. "Aren't you guys lucky? You get a break!"  
  
Carrot grinned at her. "So, Dota, do you want to take a break of your own and spend it with me since I've got some time off?" he leered, and Chocolate immediately kicked him.  
  
"Oh, Carrot, you're always so silly!" Dota giggled. She looked up at Marron innocently, a frown creasing her cute forehead. "I still can't see you liking girls, though," she added, and everyone sweat-dropped. "You're the only one who never hit on me."  
  
*Not that stupid rumor again! Dota, why can't you let it go already?!*  
  
"Of course he likes girls," Vanilla said, setting a plate of cookies down on the table in the center of the room. "He married me, didn't he?"  
  
Marron froze; he hadn't known that she was there until she spoke up.  
  
"Yes, but I'm really cute," Dota continued, "and he never once tried to grab me like every other guy does."  
  
Marron wished that the floor would open up and swallow him whole.  
  
Unfortunately, it wasn't cooperating.  
  
"True, you are cute, Dota," Vanilla said seriously, "but you're forgetting that Marron is very polite, and would never do something like that to a person he considers a friend."  
  
"Oh," Dota said, seeming to understand. Marron's heart dropped in his chest when she went on. "But I still can't see it. I really thought he and Gateau were a couple."  
  
Gateau blushed and looked away, coughing.  
  
"No," Vanilla said, and Marron could tell that she was fighting a smile. "Should I demonstrate it for you? I think it might make it easier for you to understand."  
  
Dota smiled brightly. "Sure!"  
  
Vanilla grinned then, and turned to Marron.  
  
*Oh, no . . . what is she going to do, and how embarrassing is this going to be?*  
  
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and paced toward Marron in a way that made even Chocolate blush and turn away briefly. Marron stared down at her when she stopped in front of him, unable to look away from her gloriously sparkling purple eyes. Her smile turned impish, and she stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his, deepening the kiss when he shuddered and put his arms around her.  
  
His mind turned to mush. All he could think and feel was Vanilla. He forgot that Big Mama was in the room. He forgot that Carrot and everyone else was in the room. He even forgot that this was a demonstration for Dota's benefit.  
  
The kiss went on and on, and Marron never even noticed that everyone but Dota was gaping at them openly. Dota was watching them intently, a look of extreme concentration on her cute face.  
  
Finally, Vanilla pulled back, sucking on Marron' s bottom lip briefly. She grinned up at him as he stared down at her, trying to get his scattered wits back. It wasn't working.  
  
"Doesn't that look like Marron likes girls?" Vanilla asked, looking at Dota.  
  
Dota smiled. "I guess I'm convinced," she agreed brightly. "Wow! I never noticed that before."  
  
Marron finally realized that everyone was grinning at him, even Vanilla, and cringed inwardly.  
  
*She did it again!*  
  
"That was a pretty convincing moan, bro," Carrot said with a grin.  
  
To his chagrin, Chocolate and Tira just laughed at Carrot's comment, and so did Gateau. Even Big Mama smiled.  
  
*They're all against me,* he thought, bewildered, yet somehow found it in him to smile weakly at them even though he started to blush faintly.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
The next day, Marron watched Vanilla from the window as she played with Mint out in her garden. Her silver hair shone brightly in the deceptively late summer afternoon sunlight, and her purple eyes sparkled with tenderness as she showed the infant the big red rose she held, brushing Mint's cheek with the soft petals.  
  
Mint giggled and waved her arms happily, and Vanilla smiled at her, stroking her cheek with the rose again. Mint caught one of Vanilla's fingers and held onto it, laughing happily up at her mother.  
  
Marron's heart ached at the sight.  
  
*I love them both so much . . . and Vanilla hardly seems to know how I feel about her. She doesn't seem to notice me as a man, beyond being Mint's father, but I wish that I could really act like her husband . . . especially after everything we've been through recently. It's so hard to believe that she really did kiss me like that in front of everyone.*  
  
Marron blushed at his thoughts, watching as Vanilla lifted Mint in her arms, cradling the infant against her body. He let his eyes trace Vanilla's slender figure as she walked toward the house; she was already back to normal so soon after her pregnancy.  
  
*She never told me what I did to her that night. I wish I could remember. Did she enjoy it? Would she let me do it again if I could remember? I've never wanted anything as much as I want to remember that night, even if I could just use the memory to fantasize about her for the rest of my life . . .*  
  
Marron shivered even though the room was suddenly very warm. He could hear Vanilla as she neared the house, cooing to Mint very softly. The door opened, and Marron leaned back in the window seat, pretending to read the large book in his lap.  
  
Something made him look up, though it certainly wasn't Vanilla's footsteps; she moved like a cat no matter where she was. The elf stood in front of him, holding a sleepy-looking Mint in her arms. Her smile was gentle and radiant, almost like it was just for him, and he found himself smiling back at her, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.  
  
"Can you put Mint down for her nap for me?" she asked softly, her purple eyes full of warmth. "I need to go start supper."  
  
"I'll do it!" Carrot chimed in, materializing next to Vanilla from seemingly out of nowhere.  
  
Vanilla started in surprise, her purple eyes widening.  
  
Before she could open her mouth, Gateau spoke up. "No you won't, Carrot, or you forfeit this game."  
  
"Hey, I'll be right back," Carrot retorted. "Can't a guy be helpful once in a while?"  
  
"Not when he's you," Gateau countered. "You made me learn how to play Patchouli, so you have to finish this game. I'm not going to sit here and wait while you're off playing with Mint."  
  
"Really, Darling, how can you pass up this chance to snuggle with me over here on this comfy loveseat?" Chocolate asked coyly.  
  
A vein appeared on Tira's forehead at that statement, but she ignored her sister and buried her face deeper in the book she'd borrowed from Vanilla with a loud sigh, letting it drop for once. Marron suspected Orange's influence there. Tira had seemed to be quite impressed by him.  
  
Marron sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'll do it, Niisan," he said quietly, reaching out to take Mint from Vanilla's arms. Mint cooed happily as he gathered her small body close to him. "You go back to your game."  
  
Vanilla smiled at him gratefully, her purple eyes amused. "Thank you, Marron," she said, and with one last sparkle of her eyes, she slipped out of the room to the kitchen.  
  
He sighed after her, and Carrot eyed him critically. Marron looked up at him quizzically.  
  
Carrot just smiled and shook his head. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you've got it bad, bro." His voice was low, pitched for Marron's ears only. Suddenly, he grinned. "You've got good taste, too. Vanilla's really hot. Must be my influence there."  
  
Marron smiled and stood up with Mint in his arms. "Thank you, Niisan," he said softly, laying his hand on Carrot's shoulder briefly.  
  
"Anytime," Carrot replied, and went back to the game of Patchouli.  
  
"It's about time," Gateau muttered.  
  
"Hey, can't I have one short bonding moment with my little brother without you complaining about it?" Carrot demanded just as Marron slipped out of the room and began walking through the hallway toward the stairs. "You're so cruel, Gateau!"  
  
*He never changes,* Marron thought, shifting Mint in his arms. The infant cooed happily again, grabbing a fist-full of his long black hair. He winced as she yanked on it, trying to pull it into her mouth.  
  
"Mint, please don't eat my hair," Marron said, laughing softly when she grumbled in protest as he freed his hair from her tiny fist. He put the rest out of her reach over his shoulder.  
  
Just like her mother, Mint was quick to forgive the confiscation of his hair from her, and smiled up at him, patting his cheek with her small hand. She babbled something quite seriously to him in baby talk, and he smiled at her, leaning forward to kiss her tiny nose.  
  
"You're beautiful," he whispered to her, his golden eyes soft. "Just like your mother." To Mint's utter delight, he very gently stroked her soft black hair and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Maybe you can tell me what to do about your mother."  
  
Mint babbled something to him again, her expression very serious.  
  
"Gomen ne, little one," he said softly, smiling at her. "I suppose that isn't a very good question to ask you."  
  
Mint gave up trying to talk to him, and lay her head trustingly on his chest, snuggling her small body closer. Marron smiled again, and patted her small back soothingly as he ascended the stairs.  
  
*Who could tell me what I should do about my situation with Vanilla? That's a hard one,* he thought, entering the room he was sharing with Vanilla and Mint. He walked over to Mint's cradle, and knelt beside it.  
  
Realistically, out of my entire team, whom could I ask? Certainly not Carrot. Niisan means well, but his methods wouldn't exactly be . . . polished. Chocolate's would probably be just as offensive to Vanilla. There is no way that I'm going to ask Gateau, so that only leaves Tira.  
  
He lay Mint down in the cradle. She was already asleep, so he pulled a soft blanket over her and let her nap.  
  
*I'm pretty certain that Tira's advice would be the best of all of them,* he thought as he left the room, leaving the door open a crack. *It will be embarrassing to ask her, but my only other option is to write a letter to Big Mama, and that would not only take longer, but would also be even more embarrassing in the long run.*  
  
Marron shuddered at the thought of Big Mama's expression if he asked her how he could seduce Vanilla.  
  
*The Haz Knights would jump in, and I'd never hear the end of it. I'll just ask Tira. She'll help me, I'm sure of it.*  
  
He went back downstairs, and down the hall into the sitting room. Tira was still sitting in her chair, pretending to ignore the three Patchouli players in the center of the room. In reality, she was staring at the book in her lap without really seeing it. He noticed that she was on the same page she'd been on when he'd left to put Mint down for her nap.  
  
"Tira, can I ask you something?" Marron inquired nervously, wringing his hands in the concealment of his sleeves.  
  
"Of course, Marron," said the pink-haired girl a little too eagerly. Marron suspected that she was glad of the distraction from her sister's behavior around Carrot tonight. "What is it?"  
  
"Privately?" he added, glancing at Gateau, Carrot, and Chocolate. Tira followed his gaze, shutting her book absently.  
  
The Patchouli game had gotten into full swing, and Chocolate was hanging on Carrot's arm as he and Gateau played.  
  
"Darling, you shouldn't have done that," Chocolate was saying in response to Carrot's latest move of his piece on the board. "He can beat you in three moves."  
  
"I can?" Gateau asked, confused. "I don't see it." He moved a piece on the board hesitantly. "Like this?"  
  
"No, you can't do that until you have four of my pieces," Carrot argued. "You only have one!"  
  
"Darling is right," Chocolate said with a shrug when Gateau looked at her for confirmation.  
  
"This is too confusing," Gateau complained. "Why don't you make Chocolate or Tira play with you? I've got better things to do than sit around this board all night."  
  
"I'm not asking them to play because they can easily beat me," Carrot replied loftily. "Now shut up and pay attention."  
  
"Che," Gateau muttered, and stared hard at the board, pondering his next move.  
  
Tira sweat-dropped and shook her head at them. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing toward the door.  
  
Marron nodded in relief and led Tira to the hallway, shutting the door behind them. The three Patchouli players hadn't noticed that they had left, so intent were they on the game.  
  
The young mage led her a little ways down the hallway to the alcove in front of Vanilla's scrying room door. He paused by the door, and Tira stood in front of him, waiting for him to speak.  
  
"You're the only person I can ask about this," he said apologetically.  
  
"Well, what is it, Marron?" she prodded gently.  
  
"I-I have a problem," he said hesitantly, "and I'm not sure of how to approach it."  
  
Tira nodded. "Go on."  
  
Marron flushed. "Well, I've been married to Vanilla for about three months now, and we haven't . . . you know . . . since that night."  
  
Tira blushed. "Since you got her pregnant?"  
  
Marron nodded, his eyes lowered. "I-I really want to – " He stopped, clenching his hands together.  
  
"Oh," Tira said delicately, her face flaming. "I see."  
  
"But I don't know if she feels the same." He sighed in frustration. "I don't know how to ask her. She's so self-contained and beautiful and – " He broke off, seeing Tira's amused smile.  
  
"I can't ask Carrot or Chocolate for advice," he added. "I don't even want to know what they'd tell me." He snorted in disgust. "Gateau would probably try to give me a demonstration of what I should do. And can you picture what Big Mama would do if I asked her?"  
  
Tira giggled. "Her eyes would bug out of her head. And then she'd probably tell you to ask the Haz Knights to give you advice."  
  
"Exactly," Marron said. "You're the only one who can give me good advice."  
  
Tira nodded. "Sad, but true," she said, watching as Vanilla walked past them on silent feet with a basket of green beans. The silver-haired elf did not appear to have noticed them, much less to have heard anything that Marron had said about her. Marron hadn't noticed her walking by either, which was probably a good thing.  
  
Tira had seen the affect Vanilla had on the young mage, and had seen how Vanilla watched Marron when he wasn't looking.  
  
*They make a cute couple,* she thought with a smirk.  
  
"Maybe you should just tell her," Tira said suddenly.  
  
Marron looked at her, blushing, and his golden eyes wide. "But – "  
  
Tira grinned. "It's obvious that you're in love with her," she said. "Just tell her how you feel."  
  
"I don't want her to think that I'm just saying that I love her because of Mint," he objected. "What if she doesn't believe me?"  
  
"Then keep telling her until she does believe you," Tira replied. "The only way that you'll be able to resolve this is to talk to Vanilla."  
  
Marron sighed. "I know. It's just so hard. It seems like she cares more about our daughter than me. And it's impossible to tell what she's thinking."  
  
Tira giggled. "Don't be silly," she chided. "She loves you just as much as she loves Mint. I think she expresses her love for you by doting on Mint because she doesn't know how you feel."  
  
Marron looked at her, his golden eyes wide with incredulity. "That actually makes a lot of sense," he said slowly.  
  
She patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry. It will all work out."  
  
He smiled, bemused. "Thank you, Tira."  
  
"No problem."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Vanilla was seated at the table, staring hard at the green bean she held in her hand. She'd seen Marron and Tira standing in the alcove together. She'd seen the look on Marron's face; embarrassed, maybe guilty, as if he'd confessed something to the pink-haired human girl.  
  
*Marron and Tira. It makes sense in a way, I suppose. They grew up together, and they've worked together for a while now. He certainly knows her better than he knows me . . . but why didn't he say something to me after we found out about Mint? I would have freed him for her then, and saved myself the heartache.*  
  
She snapped the ends of the green bean off, placed it in the bowl, and reached for another.  
  
*Tira is also a very kind person. I had thought that she loved Carrot, but she must have pretended that to cover her real feelings. I cannot hate her for loving Marron, or him for loving her, even though it hurts. I should free him so that they can be together.*  
  
Vanilla blinked against sudden tears.  
  
*I don't want to let him go! I know he's only here because of his sense of duty to Mint, but . . . I think I love him. I don't want to lose him!*  
  
Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Marron entered, carrying Mint, who was blinking sleepily. The infant yawned, and Marron stroked her wispy black hair. Vanilla's heart constricted at the sight of them.  
  
"Look who's awake," Marron said, smiling at the infant in his arms. He looked up at Vanilla, extending the warmth of his smile to her. "Mint decided she was hungry," he explained.  
  
Vanilla forced a smile. "I guess I'll have to take care of that, then," she said, and held out her arms for the baby.  
  
Marron placed their child in her arms, and looked away from her as she bared her breast and put Mint up to it. Vanilla wondered briefly why he would never look at her while she nursed Mint, but squelched the thought as quickly as it formed.  
  
*I will not cry now. Not in front of him.*  
  
"Is this for tonight's supper?" Marron asked, gesturing to the basket of green beans.  
  
Vanilla nodded, smiling gently down at Mint as the infant suckled, her purple eyes half-closed, drowsy slits and her tiny hand gripping Vanilla's finger. She stroked Mint's hair very gently.  
  
*This is so peaceful . . . almost like we're really a family.*  
  
"I'll finish this," Marron volunteered, and sat across from her at the table.  
  
"Oh, that's not necessary," Vanilla protested. "This will only take a few minutes."  
  
"No, that's fine," he interrupted, and started snapping the ends off the beans. "You've cooked for me for months now, and it's the least I can do."  
  
"All right," she conceded, and sat back in her chair to finish nursing Mint.  
  
"I saw Carrot and Gateau playing that game you taught them," Marron said conversationally after a few moments of silence broken only by the soft sounds of Mint suckling.  
  
"Really? How were they doing?"  
  
"Niisan was winning," he said. "Gateau is still confused about the rules."  
  
"It took me several games to understand it myself," she replied, and switched Mint to her other breast.  
  
"Tira and Chocolate picked it up pretty quickly playing you," he said. "Niisan won't play them anymore."  
  
Vanilla chuckled softly. "That's silly. How can he get better at Patchouli if he does not play someone with more knowledge than he has?"  
  
Marron shrugged, a faint smile curving his lips.  
  
Vanilla watched him as he prepared the green beans, fascinated by the deft, graceful movements of his slender hands. His golden eyes were focused intently on the beans in his hands, so he did not appear to notice her scrutiny.  
  
The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the horizon, and a stray beam of warm, gold sunlight stretched across the kitchen, splashing over Marron's long, shiny black hair. The light danced and played in those long black strands, and Vanilla's heart ached.  
  
*He's beautiful,* she thought, awed, absently disengaging the now sleeping Mint from her breast and pulling her tunic back down.  
  
At that moment, he looked up at her and paused, as if he had seen the thought reflected in her eyes. He shifted in his seat, and smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Is Mint asleep?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes were almost hungry as he studied her.  
  
Vanilla sat up a little straighter. "Yes," she replied.  
  
*Did I really see that?* she wondered, hardly daring to hope that she had.  
  
Her heart lurched in her chest as he stood gracefully and walked over to her, holding her gaze with his intent golden eyes.  
  
Marron paused a few inches from her, and she stared up into his eyes, mesmerized by the emotion she saw there. Time stopped as his hand lifted, reaching out to her . . .  
  
. . . and started again as Carrot barged into the kitchen, closely followed by Chocolate and Gateau. Instantly, Marron's hand was at his side again.  
  
"I finally won!" Carrot exclaimed, laughing. "I finally beat someone at Patchouli!" He grinned proudly at Marron. "Isn't that great, Marron? I just beat Gateau!"  
  
"That's wonderful, Niisan," Marron sighed.  
  
"Che! That was just luck," Gateau grumbled. "I could've beaten you if – "  
  
"No, that was all skill," Chocolate interrupted, beaming at Carrot with pride. "Darling, why don't we go celebrate on that cozy little bench in the garden?"  
  
Carrot ignored the suggestion. "Luck my foot," he retorted. "You just can't take knowing that I'm better at something than you are."  
  
Gateau made a fist and brandished it menacingly at Carrot. "What did you say?" he demanded coldly.  
  
"You heard me," Carrot said pugnaciously.  
  
"Darling, he'll clobber you!" Chocolate cried.  
  
At this point, Mint began to wail, having been rudely awakened by the stupid argument. Glad of the distraction, Vanilla pulled the infant up to her chest, patting her back soothingly until she calmed again.  
  
Marron sighed. "I'll put her back to bed," he said, taking their daughter from her arms.  
  
"Thank you," Vanilla replied, inwardly swallowing her disappointment at the interruption.  
  
He nodded and left the kitchen, soothing Mint's discontented murmur with a kiss pressed to her small cheek.  
  
Vanilla sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.  
  
A large hand covered her shoulder briefly, and she looked up to see Gateau bending over her solicitously.  
  
"Are you all right, Vanilla?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied tightly.  
  
"What's wrong?" he persisted.  
  
Vanilla looked up at Gateau, noting that both Carrot and Chocolate had walked over behind him. They looked worried too.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, inwardly enjoying how red Gateau's face immediately turned.  
  
Carrot had also noticed, and couldn't resist nettling the big man further. "Oh, were you and Marron gonna get it on?" he asked innocently.  
  
"Darling!" Chocolate objected, flushing. "Don't be so crude!"  
  
"No," Vanilla replied, trying not to smile as Gateau's face grew even redder with Carrot's comment. "You woke Mint up."  
  
"Oh," Gateau said, laughing sheepishly, and ran his big hand through his short blond hair. "Sorry."  
  
Vanilla sighed and stood up. "Just for that, Chocolate, you are going to finish those beans. Carrot, you're going to peel those potatoes. Gateau, you are going to haul in five buckets of water and then chop some wood for the cook fire – enough for a month."  
  
"Hey, why do I have to do more than that scrawny little freak and that bim- "  
  
"Hey!" Carrot protested, whirling on Gateau.  
  
"Watch it, Gateau," Chocolate said warningly at the same time.  
  
"- that beautiful, respectable young lady," Gateau amended sullenly.  
  
"That's better," Chocolate said.  
  
Vanilla just smiled. "They're not doing less than you are. They're going to clean the kitchen when they're finished."  
  
"Hey!" Carrot and Chocolate protested in unison.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Notes: There are only a couple more threads for me to tie up in a nice, neat little bow, and then this story will finally be finished. I don't know what it is about this story, but working on it always makes me want to work on my original stuff. I'm getting impatient. ^_^ So now all my friends can be expecting an update of X & D pretty soon. ^_^  
  
And now:  
  
DratiniRocket: Mary Sue? Is that the thing where authors write themselves into a story like this to sleep with their favorite character? If so, I just wanted to say that Marron is an interesting *character*, and that is as far as my interest goes in him. If I ever met him in real life, he'd probably annoy me. I enjoyed working with him in this story as a writer, but I did not write Vanilla to be myself; I'm sorry that it seems that way to you, and it's okay if you don't believe me. Thanks for letting me know that the next chapter of your story's up! ^_^  
  
Fala: Thank you for your email. ^_^ And thank you again for telling me what a Mary Sue thing is, even if that's not what DratiniRocket meant.  
  
Now please review and let me know what you think. Or go read my bizarre Kenshin fic and review that. Or both; that'll work too. ^_^ I really do want to know what everyone thinks of this.  
  
Arigatou!  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


	10. Part 9

Fox Hunt  
  
Part 9 (Last Chapter)  
  
Disclaimer: This is the last time I will say it: I don't own anything but the story line and the original characters that I created.  
  
Warnings: Implied lemon. More teasing of Marron. (sigh)  
  
  
  
Vanilla was already asleep when Marron entered the room they'd been sharing since his team members had come to visit them. He changed into a soft yukata swiftly, and drew back the covers to slip in beside her.  
  
*It never gets any easier,* he thought, starting when she turned over in her sleep to face him, unconsciously throwing her arm over his chest. *I still feel like I'm trespassing here.*  
  
Marron watched Vanilla for a long moment while she slept, aided by the bright beam of moonlight coming in through the window. Her silver hair and pale skin glowed white, and she looked like an ethereal being of light.  
  
*Beautiful . . . she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.*  
  
He slipped closer to her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her gently against him. She curled against him with a sigh, pillowing her head on his shoulder.  
  
Marron closed his eyes, breathing in the exotic herbal scent of her silver hair. After a moment, he opened his eyes again to watch her as he ran his fingers through the glowing white river of her long hair. The strands curled around his fingers with a life of their own, releasing him almost reluctantly when Vanilla shifted in his arms.  
  
Embarrassed, Marron froze. Vanilla said nothing; she did not even move.  
  
"Vanilla?" he ventured softly. "Are you awake?"  
  
"Yes," she replied in a low voice.  
  
"I . . . I need to ask you something . . ."  
  
"Go on," she prompted when he paused.  
  
"I don't remember anything about that . . . about that night," he began, feeling the heat staining his cheeks increase a little.  
  
"I'm not surprised," Vanilla said when he paused again. Her tone was strangely sad? Regretful? He couldn't tell. "That was the worst fit," she added.  
  
It's now or never, he thought, taking a deep breath. I hope this works.  
  
"I wish that I did," he added softly in her ear.  
  
Vanilla turned to look at him, her expression astonished in the bright beam of moonlight. Her eyes and hair and skin were all bleached of color, and he caught his breath.  
  
"You're so beautiful," he barely breathed, his right hand sliding into her hair, cupping her cheek. "When you kissed me at our wedding, I wanted . . ." He stopped, unable to continue.  
  
"You wanted what?" she asked softly, her eyes intent on his.  
  
"A-and when you kissed me in front of everyone," he added, "it was all I could do not to . . ."  
  
"Not to what?" Vanilla murmured.  
  
"Vanilla, I . . ." I love you. "Will you show me . . . what I did to you that night?"  
  
Vanilla stared at him, and Marron wished fervently that he could take those words back.  
  
*Oh, no, what have I done?! She's not that kind of woman, even if we are married!*  
  
Vanilla sat up.  
  
"I-I'm sorry!" he blurted, not wanting her to go. "I didn't mean to – "  
  
Vanilla smiled at him, and deliberately untied the sash on her yukata, sliding it off her shoulders and letting it pile onto the floor. She ignored the total shock on his face.  
  
"You were hunched over on the side of the bed when I came in," she explained. "When I tried to help you, you pulled me into your arms and kissed me – like this."  
  
She demonstrated, seizing his lips. Marron moaned low in his throat, shock quickly giving way to desire. Heat washed through him as her hands gently untied the sash holding his yukata closed.  
  
Vanilla deepened the kiss, pulling the yukata aside to press her bare skin against him. Something like electricity shot through him, and his arms closed around her, trapping her against his chest.  
  
Her hair made a silvery-white curtain around his face as her tongue plundered his mouth, sending his senses reeling toward a world made up of only Vanilla. His hands caressed her soft skin, roaming over her back, her arms, down her sides.  
  
After an eternity spent tangling her tongue with his, she broke the kiss, tugging at his lower lip as she pulled away. Marron was panting heavily, his golden eyes glazed with need and passion, mirroring Vanilla's.  
  
"Do you want to see more?" she asked huskily.  
  
"Please," he whispered. "Show me."  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
A soft, disgruntled babble of sound came from the cradle in the corner, penetrating the fog of contentment shrouding Vanilla's mind.  
  
*Mint's awake,* she thought sleepily, and stretched languidly against Marron's body. She smiled when she heard him gasp.  
  
His arms tightened around her when she tried to get up. Amused, Vanilla looked down at him, finding his golden eyes open and gazing up at her. She leaned down and kissed him softly, laughing and pulling back when he tried to deepen the kiss.  
  
"The little one needs her diaper changed and her breakfast," she told him when he moaned in protest.  
  
Marron stuck his tongue out at her, but let her up when she moved again. She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up her pale blue yukata and slipped it on, then padded silently over to Mint's cradle.  
  
" 'Morning, little one," she cooed as she pulled Mint out from underneath her blankets. Mint gurgled cheerfully at her mother, waving her arms around. Vanilla laughed. "Are you happy to see me?"  
  
Mint gurgled happily at her again, wriggling as Vanilla changed her diaper. Marron turned on his side to watch her, a small smile curving his lips.  
  
"Come on, little one," Vanilla said softly as she lifted Mint into her arms, carrying her back over to the bed. Marron slid back to allow her some room on the bed, and she sat down with Mint, baring her breast and putting the child up to it.  
  
Surprisingly, Marron gazed directly at her and the baby this time, his golden eyes warm and tender as he watched Mint suckling. Vanilla looked at him, startled.  
  
"What?" he asked, meeting her eyes warily.  
  
"You're watching me," she said.  
  
"Did you want me to look away?" he asked, dropping his gaze. He blushed.  
  
"No," Vanilla said softly, smiling. "It's just that you don't usually watch me while I'm nursing her."  
  
Marron raised his eyes to hers again, his expression hopeful. "Then you don't mind?" he asked, taken aback.  
  
"Of course not," Vanilla said, shifting Mint in her lap. "I always used to wonder why you would never look at me, and I thought it was because you felt ashamed or embarrassed about it."  
  
"No, it was never that," Marron said, shaking his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position next to her. "I thought that you didn't want me to watch you while you nursed Mint." He coughed delicately. "And it always reminded me of that night we, um, well . . ."  
  
Vanilla smiled. "Made love?" she supplied, and he nodded, faintly embarrassed. "I would not have married you if I minded you looking at me," she added, and shifted Mint to her other breast, glancing up in time to see Marron's gaze raise from her breast to meet hers. "I know what you're thinking: 'well, if you don't mind . . .' "  
  
If it was possible, Marron's blush deepened.  
  
Vanilla laughed softly. "You are way too much fun to tease, heart-mate," she said smugly, and leaned forward to give him a quick brush of her lips on his, taking care not to jostle Mint.  
  
Marron laughed helplessly. "How do you do that?" he asked. "How do you always manage to make me feel so completely out of my depth so easily?"  
  
She shrugged. "I'm not that hard to figure out," she replied, her purple eyes darkening as she leaned forward to brush her lips against his again. This time he tilted his chin, kissing her back before she could pull away.  
  
"Is Mint finished yet?" he asked several moments later, his voice slightly husky.  
  
"Um, I think so," Vanilla replied. "Why?" Her eyes were warm, and her slight smile indicated that she knew exactly what he was saying.  
  
"Would she excuse us for a while?" He slipped his arms around her waist gently.  
  
"How long a while?" she asked, tilting her head as he caressed her neck with his lips and tongue.  
  
"However long it takes to pay you back for last night," Marron replied, slipping her yukata off her shoulder to gently press kisses on her soft skin.  
  
"Maybe," Vanilla sighed, shifting so that the yukata slipped further down her arm. "You could ask her . . ."  
  
"Mm. Mint, do you mind if I borrow your mother for a while?" he murmured, his lips at Vanilla's ear. His soft voice made her shiver as she pulled away to put the baby back to bed.  
  
Mint muttered something cheerfully in baby talk, as if confused as to why her beloved mother was placing her back in her cradle so soon.  
  
"I'll give her back . . ." he promised, watching Vanilla as she paced back toward him. "Maybe."  
  
Vanilla laughed softly, sliding back into his arms. "I don't think she minds. I know I don't." She gasped when his hands slid into her yukata, caressing her bare skin. "Carrot and the others might, as their breakfast will be a little late . . ."  
  
"They'll live," Marron said, trailing kisses down her throat. "Besides, isn't this more fun than cooking?"  
  
Vanilla gasped again. "You have a point there," she replied breathily.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Marron and Vanilla walked down to the kitchen with Mint some time later, holding hands. The other Sorcerer Hunters, minus Gateau, were seated around the table, sipping tea with Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara.  
  
Very prominent dark circles smudged the skin under Carrot's, Chocolate's, and Tira's eyes, and the three of them glared up at the couple as they entered the room. The three elves simply looked like they were trying (and almost failing) to keep from laughing, which nearly spoiled the affect of the three Sorcerer Hunters' glares.  
  
"What's wrong with you three?" Vanilla asked, raising one elegant silver eyebrow. She passed Mint to Ravensara when she held out her arms in a silent request for her niece.  
  
Tira's eyes sparkled behind her glasses, ruining the affect of her glare. "We didn't sleep very well last night," she replied primly.  
  
"Someone was making a lot of noise," Chocolate added, her mouth quirking.  
  
Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara all exchanged glances, and swiftly hid their smiles in their teacups. Mint giggled, sensing the joke, if not the meaning of it.  
  
Marron was not as well informed as his daughter. He looked at them, thoroughly confused.  
  
*What are they talking about? I never heard anything. I had the best night of sleep I've ever had last night, and I sleep really lightly.*  
  
"I don't know what you were doing to Marron last night, Vanilla," Carrot drawled, taking a sip of his tea, "but whatever it was, he must have liked it. I've never heard him moan that loudly before."  
  
"We'll have to compare notes later," Chocolate said to Vanilla, glancing at Carrot with a speculative gleam in her blue eyes.  
  
*Oh my god . . . they heard us?!*  
  
Marron flushed crimson, but Vanilla just smiled serenely and slipped her arm around his shoulders, squeezing lightly.  
  
Butterscotch grinned proudly, pouring herself another cup of tea. Lemon laughed, and Ravensara hid another smile in her teacup, bouncing Mint in her arms as she did so with practiced ease.  
  
"I could say something," Butterscotch said graciously, "but just this once, I'll leave you alone, Marron. Your brother is doing my job for me rather nicely, don't you think?" The six around the table all laughed, and Marron blushed again. "I'm just happy that everything is all right between you two now," she added with a self-congratulatory smirk at Lemon and Ravensara.  
  
"I knew the Ice Maiden would fall hard when she finally fell in love," Ravensara said to Lemon, beaming with pride. "Didn't she?" she cooed to Mint, who giggled again.  
  
Lemon's green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Who won the betting pool for the date of her wedding?"  
  
"Strangely enough, Rice Krispie did," Ravensara replied.  
  
Vanilla sighed. "You're all hopeless; I trust you realize that," she replied dryly. "So, how much was the pool up to? Or should I not ask?"  
  
Butterscotch laughed, stirring sugar into her tea. "Don't ask, child; you'll regret it!"  
  
"I already regret it," Vanilla muttered, smiling at Marron. He smiled back at her, captivated by her deep purple eyes.  
  
*Every time I look at her, it's the same thing. I could stare into her eyes for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. I hope that never changes,* Marron thought sincerely.  
  
"Are Amaretto and Tarragon here?" Vanilla was asking.  
  
"Yes," Ravensara said, rolling her eyes. "They decided to borrow your Patchouli set for a game or three."  
  
Lemon laughed fondly. "I doubt that you'd be able to pry them away from it with a crowbar," she said with a wry smile that Vanilla and Ravensara returned.  
  
"Sit down, you two," Tira said. "There's plenty of tea, and Butterscotch made some pastries for breakfast."  
  
"Yeah, after all that exercise last night, you should be pretty hungry," Carrot added with a wink at Vanilla as he and the others shifted their positions around the table to allow the two to sit down.  
  
Marron flushed again, coughing uncomfortably, and the others laughed. He sat down next to the empty chair where Vanilla was apparently going to sit.  
  
"Where is Gateau?" Marron asked to try to change the subject.  
  
Chocolate shrugged. "He said something about going for a walk, I think," she said, glancing at Tira.  
  
Tira nodded. "He said he'd be back around lunch time, I think."  
  
*I haven't had a chance to talk to him to see how he's taking all of this. Maybe I should go look for him, to see if I can explain things a little better to him,* Marron thought uncomfortably.  
  
"By the way, Vanilla," Butterscotch added, "the wood box in the corner is empty. I thought I should mention it so you don't have to go out there and get more wood when I give you another chance to cook." She smiled at Vanilla fondly.  
  
"All right," Vanilla said. "Since I'm up, I may as well just go now."  
  
"You don't have to do that," Carrot interjected. "I'll do it for you."  
  
"No, that's fine," Vanilla said, turning for the door. "I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, you know." She winked at Marron as she left the room.  
  
*She's leaving so soon?*  
  
Marron hid his disappointment by sipping the tea that Tira poured for him.  
  
Suddenly, he looked up to find Carrot grinning at him. "Yes?"  
  
"You're worse than I thought," he said. "Absolutely, positively gone."  
  
Lemon grinned. "We wouldn't have it any other way," she said, smiling at Marron as he flushed again.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Gateau swung the heavy axe as if it were a feather, splitting the wood as easily as breathing and smooth as butter. The steady rhythm of the axe blade hitting the wood was almost therapeutic, and the monotonous movements helped him to think more clearly. Right now, he had a lot of things on his mind that he needed to work out, and the big man preferred to do his thinking in private. The others in his team were a bit too distracting to do any serious introspection around.  
  
*I should have known better than to listen to Carrot's blabbering,* Gateau thought bitterly as he swung the axe into another log. *He was probably just hoping that all the teasing he was doing would make Marron mad enough to prove him wrong. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up . . . Especially after hearing Marron and Vanilla together last night, I should know by now that I never had a chance.*  
  
He sighed, and set the axe down to carry the split logs over to the woodshed. It was dark and cool inside the shed, an interesting contrast to the heat of the garden outside, considering that it was winter.  
  
*I'll never get used to that. I wonder how Vanilla makes it summer in here all the time?*  
  
He stepped back outside the shed, and headed back over to the chopping block. The walk this morning through the outskirts of the forest had done him a little bit of good, but not as much as the familiar chore of chopping wood.  
  
*I'm still not sure how to take all this,* Gateau thought uncomfortably as he lifted the axe again. *It's still kind of a shock, even now, to think that Marron is married, and even has a kid already.*  
  
He shook his head bemusedly at the thought of Mint.  
  
*I can already tell that Mint's gonna have all of us wrapped around her tiny little finger. She's going to be utterly adorable, and if Marron and Vanilla don't watch it, she'll be spoiled rotten.*  
  
He swung the axe, and the thick log on the block was cleaved smoothly in half. He bent to retrieve one of the halves, setting it on the block. Then he paused to pull his shirt off and mop the sweat off his face with it.  
  
*Kuso! It's so hot! Vanilla certainly doesn't do anything half-assed when it comes to the use of her power. I just hope it has nothing to do with the Forbidden Magic. I don't want to have to carry out a contract on her life, especially after seeing Marron so happy with her.*  
  
Gateau frowned as he cleaved the half of the log into half again.  
  
*I guess I didn't see it coming because I didn't want to,* he thought slowly. *I wanted to make Marron into something that he wasn't, and I never took the time to see who he really was, like Vanilla must have. Kuso, that's painful! My fault, though. I thought that I really loved him. Maybe I was wrong.*  
  
He swung the axe again, chopping the other half of the log into half again, and looked up to see Vanilla walking toward him.  
  
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Vanilla protested. "You already chopped more than enough wood for me yesterday."  
  
Gateau smiled at her awkwardly. "It's okay," he replied. "I do this all the time anyway." He'd half-hoped that she wouldn't notice how awkward it was for him to talk to her, but of course she did.  
  
Vanilla frowned. "Gateau," she said seriously, "are you all right with me being Marron's wife? I know that you have feelings for him."  
  
He looked away from her. "Did Marron tell you?" he asked quietly, wondering with a pang what Marron might have said about him.  
  
"No," she replied, to his relief. "I just guessed. He never said much of anything about it. He's been feeling very guilty about hurting you, though, whether you know it or not."  
  
"He has?" Gateau said, surprised.  
  
Vanilla nodded, and took a step closer. "He hasn't said anything directly to me about it, but I can tell that it's bothering him."  
  
Gateau started, looking away from her.  
  
*She's learned more about Marron in three months than I've ever learned in all the years we've traveled together . . .*  
  
Vanilla's slim, pale hand touched his arm, and he looked at her. "Are you all right with me being Marron's wife?" she asked again.  
  
He was silent for a moment, thinking. "You're good for him," he said at last. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before."  
  
"But?" she prodded when he stopped.  
  
"But if you ever hurt him, I'll kill you," he said evenly.  
  
Strangely, Vanilla smiled at this. "I'm glad he has friends like you," she said, patting his arm gently. His opinion of her went up a notch, and he couldn't help but smile back at her.  
  
"Thanks," he said, and meant it.  
  
"Would you mind helping me fill the wood box in the kitchen?" she asked then.  
  
"Not at all," he said courteously.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
"You're leaving already?" Marron asked, dismayed.  
  
"Yeah," Carrot said. "You guys need your privacy, and we need our sleep, so we'd better find another place to stay."  
  
"We won't get another assignment for a while," Marron protested, ignoring his brother's teasing. "You could stay here. There's plenty of room."  
  
"You're all welcome to stay as long as you like," Vanilla added, entwining her arm with Marron's without thinking. She noticed that his golden eyes fairly glowed with pleasure when she leaned against him, and smiled inwardly.  
  
"*We* won't get another assignment for a while?" Gateau asked, raising one blond eyebrow. He grinned broadly. "I take it you decided to stay on the team?"  
  
Marron looked at Vanilla uncertainly, but she only smiled at him. "I'm not going to ask you to quit," she told him. "I'd even encourage you not to; I know how much it means to you. Besides, you don't need my permission."  
  
He looked infinitely relieved by her words. "Of course I'm not quitting," he told his teammates, who all smiled.  
  
"Good," Gateau said. "We need you to keep Carrot out of trouble."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"We'll just be in Split Pea," Tira said.  
  
"We'll come visit you a lot," Chocolate added.  
  
"Yeah, so much you'll get sick of us," Carrot put in with a smile.  
  
"Are you sure that you really want to go, though?" Marron asked anxiously.  
  
"We won't be far, bro," Carrot reassured him, putting a hand on the shoulder of the arm that was not holding Vanilla against him. "Just at the Bratwurst Inn again."  
  
Marron frowned unhappily, but nodded. "That isn't too far," he agreed.  
  
"Is the marketplace in Split Pea any good?" Chocolate asked with a speculative gleam in her eyes.  
  
"A wide variety of merchants are always passing through, if that's what you mean," Vanilla replied. "Why?"  
  
"We need to get you two some wedding presents," Chocolate said with hearts in her eyes. She looked at Carrot, who drew back in horror from her. "Won't it be fun to pick out their gifts together, Darling?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Uh . . . how 'bout if you go ahead, and I'll catch up?" Carrot suggested, looking around wildly for an escape route.  
  
"Now, Darling, you should know by now that it's not that easy to get away from me," Chocolate cooed, wrapping a proprietary arm around Carrot's neck. He gulped, and struggled futilely for a moment, but was unable to free himself.  
  
"We should find some presents for Mint, too," Gateau said, grinning at Carrot's discomfort. "Kids can never have too many toys."  
  
"It is an uncle's privilege to spoil his niece," Carrot agreed from the headlock Chocolate had him in, his voice strained. "Never . . . ugh . . . ooh . . . too soon . . . ouch . . . to start . . . right, Chocolate?"  
  
"Right, Darling," Chocolate replied, beaming down at him adoringly. "Shall we go?"  
  
"May as well," Tira agreed cheerfully.  
  
"See you tomorrow," Carrot croaked. "Well, unless Chocolate chokes me to death first . . . ouch, oh, ouch! Please, let go . . . need air!"  
  
"Oh, please, I'm not holding you that tightly," Chocolate replied in disgust, releasing Carrot to fall at her feet in an untidy heap, gasping for air theatrically. She smiled up at Marron and Vanilla sweetly. "I guess we'll be going now, but we'll be back tomorrow, like Darling said."  
  
"Kuso, guys," Gateau muttered impatiently. "What's with the long, drawn- out good-byes? We'll be back tomorrow, for crying out loud! Let's hurry up and get to Split Pea before the marketplace closes and we have to listen to Chocolate whine about it."  
  
Chocolate sniffed indignantly, but before she could start, Tira began pushing her away from the porch. "See you tomorrow!" the pink-haired girl said cheerfully as she collected Carrot from the ground.  
  
Gateau sighed a long-suffering sigh, grinned at Marron and Vanilla ruefully, and waved as he followed the others toward Split Pea.  
  
Marron rolled his eyes. "See you tomorrow," he called after them.  
  
"Oh, good, they're finally gone," Butterscotch said as she came up behind them. "I thought they'd never leave!"  
  
"Butterscotch," Vanilla chided, but the midwife only grinned.  
  
"They're odd people, but nice," Tarragon said, coming up from behind Butterscotch with Ravensara, Lemon, and Amaretto.  
  
"Okay, people," Lemon said, clapping her hands briskly. "Let's go now. We've annoyed these two quite enough for one day."  
  
"You haven't been any trouble," Marron said hastily, and jumped when Vanilla elbowed him in his side gently. He glanced at her, and she smiled serenely at him, praying that he would get the not-so-subtle hint and keep his mouth shut.  
  
Lemon noticed the slight gesture, and grinned. She took her husband's hand and tugged him toward the door. "Let's go, heart-mate," she said with a sigh.  
  
"Cheated out of Vanilla's legendary cooking again!" Amaretto wailed mournfully, but dutifully followed his wife out the door with a minimum of argument.  
  
Tarragon laughed at his brother-in-law, and followed them as they left. "Poor Amaretto," he said, his jet eyes twinkling.  
  
"Indeed," Ravensara said in mock-disgust, her obsidian eyes twinkling as well. She looked at Marron, grinning. "You see what you have to look forward to?"  
  
Marron smiled, and looked at Vanilla tenderly. "That doesn't seem so bad," he replied, gently and briefly trailing the back of his hand down her cheek. She smiled back at him, blushing a little.  
  
"Okay, let's allow our newlyweds to be alone now," Tarragon said, taking Ravensara's shoulders gently with his hands and steering her toward the door. "You too, Butterscotch."  
  
The mid-wife grinned. "I think I'll head over to Split Pea to flirt with Ramen for a while," she mused aloud, her pale yellow eyes coyly speculative. She followed Tarragon and Ravensara out the door, but paused and turned back to look at them. "I really am glad that you managed to work everything out," she added quietly, with a smile, and then shut the door behind her.  
  
Vanilla sighed with relief. "Thank the gods, they're gone!" she said emphatically. Marron just smiled at her. "What?"  
  
"Just this," he replied, tilting her chin so he could claim her lips.  
  
"Oh," she said breathlessly long moments later. "You mean, this?" She stretched up on her tiptoes, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his as she kissed him again.  
  
"Mm," he murmured back with a smile. "Now what?" he asked after several more long moments had passed.  
  
A thin, hungry wail sounded from the bedroom upstairs where Mint was taking a nap, and they both smiled.  
  
"Now I'm going to feed Mint," Vanilla replied. "Then I'll probably go make something for dinner, unless you have something else in mind." She smiled at him mischievously. "How's that sound?"  
  
"Perfect," Marron replied, his golden eyes warm. "We do have three months worth of catching up to do." He ran his fingers through her silver hair, and she shivered slightly at the look in his eyes.  
  
"Very true," she agreed, and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~ OWARI ~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Author's Final Notes: Frighteningly enough, I have been getting some requests for a sequel to this story. Honestly, I do have a few ideas bouncing around in my head, and that's where I intended them to stay. However, if you truly do want me to write a sequel, please let me know either through an email or a review, and I might consider it. I'm not making any promises, though.  
  
Anyway, I have some last minute thank-yous to give out:  
  
Tears for Soujiro: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! I had a very hard time writing that wedding scene for some reason, and I'm glad it turned out okay. I hope you didn't miss anything too important in your class. ^_^ I've accidentally missed a class or two for good fanfics as well.  
  
Mothra: (Gee, wonder who you are? ^_^) One of my major weaknesses (as I'm sure you know) is that I keep forgetting that my readers know what's going on in my story if I hint at it but don't come right out and say it. This is why I need reviews, so people can point out major glaring errors, and I can fix them. In my defense (and I know it's not a very good one), the primary focus of this story is Marron and Vanilla's relationship. Vanilla's battle with Bagel and Lox was not meant to be a climatic scene. That comes later. If Lox and Bagel have time to prepare spells ahead of time, then they are very dangerous, which is why they were captured so easily. They were not prepared to deal with Vanilla's magic, however, which I should probably make clearer if I come back and rewrite this later. That's why they were captured so easily. Thank you for your input. ^_^  
  
And I also have three very special thank yous to give to JRM (my first reviewer! ^_^), NCDavis, and Fala (the last two for the valuable tips they gave me. ^_^ Thanks, guys!). No, I'm not trying to suck up. I am honestly appreciative that you took the time to review my story and give me feedback on my writing. That is how we all improve.  
  
For everyone who read this far, thank you very much for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed it.  
  
~ Lady Cianyin ~ 


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